Thigh Spasm

[Echo2099]

Everyone,

Hello! I hope this has been a good day for you!

I have a question about muscle spasms. When I bend my neck a certain way, this little shock goes to my left leg and the thigh muscle either locks up hard, or I just can't seem to feel it so I can't control my leg. When I am moving, such as walking, getting out of bed, getting dressed; it is the worst. I have no control of my leg, which means I fall down if I'm not able to hold onto something quickly.

Although the worst of this happens when I am moving, I do get very tiny little spasms sometimes when I am sitting or lying down. They are like little pulses of spasms, but real weak. These are not painful, just merely annoying and doesn't seem to be related to my neck movement. However, when these little ones happen I am sitting down reading or using my Kindle, which means my neck is bent down.

I spoke with my neuro who sent me to a neurosurgeon. After MRI, I have to places in my neck with spinal stenosis and some nevre entrapment. Surgeon says my leg problem could certainly be caused by the spinal issues, and if not for my MS he would recommend surgery with a 95% chance of a good outcome. However, because I have MS, he is saying only about a 50% chance of a good outcome, because he can not be sure of which symptoms are caused by the neck problem and what are caused by MS.

I don't want to do this surgery only to find out it is all caused by MS. However, the only way to know if the surgery will help is to do it. It envolves, removing two discs, removing some bone, adding doner bone, fusing C6 and C7 together, and placing a metal plate over the fusion.

I guess my question is, when any of you have muscle spasms, what are they like? Are they movement induced? How quickly do they come and go? What do they feel like? Does anyone have them only in their thigh?

Any insight would be appreciated.

Thanks
KJ

[MarkLavelle]

That's a tough spot to be in. I spent almost two years with increasing problems from both MS and 'mechanical' spinal issues (a herniated disc @ L5/S1, and a 7x8 mm cyst @ L4/L5).

Because I'd already had t-spine issues before my 1st MS symptoms, I went to my back doc when my MS first presented itself (paresthesia in my feet). Fortunately, he's a physiatrist (trained in nerve stuff) and when I told him a couple of months later that my hands were feeling the same way, he immediately sent me to a neurologist.

Long story short: back surgery (remove cyst, trim disc) worked great on the mechanical issues (sciatica, total numbness after being upright for 5+ minutes). Of course it did nothing for the paresthesia, but being able to walk a few miles is a lot more important than "feelinq weird" in my book...

Surgeon says my leg problem could certainly be caused by the spinal issues, and if not for my MS he would recommend surgery with a 95% chance of a good outcome. However, because I have MS, he is saying only about a 50% chance of a good outcome, because he can not be sure of which symptoms are caused by the neck problem and what are caused by MS.

The surgeon is probably only telling you he doesn't know the cause of your symptoms. I think you have to try to figure out how much of your problems are mechanical vs. MS-related. Personally, I would look to a physiatrist who specializes in back problems for that kind of answer.

[pjsSissy70]

Most of my spasms are in my legs, right above my knees. I get them all over, but the most bothersome ones are above my knees.

[Echo2099]

Thanks

Thank you both for your replies. I will check into a physiatrist in my area.

Thanks again!

[KyleW]

I have/had spinal stenosis issues before I knew I had MS. in my case it was centered at L4/L5. The spasms in my back and legs got so bad that there were times I would lose control of my legs and just drop.

As I was ignorant to the fact that I had MS I had a lumbar laminectomy almost 4 years ago and the results were instant and miraculous! While it's not possible to know exactly which sx are being caused by the stenosis and which are being caused by the MS, I'll bet a lot of the leg sx are from stenosis.

When you think about it, the effects of stenosis and MS are very similar. Both cause nerve information paths to become disrupted. In the case of stenosis it's mechanical and can be relieved.

Kyle

[blue129]

I have a question for those of you experiencing these "vibrations".

I am undiagnosed but am having these along with other symptoms. Sometimes I have very deep cramps in my right leg, but other times I have smaller spasms/vibrations in both legs and arms.

The best way I can describe it is that it feels like the muscle is starting to cramp, but it never goes that far, and it does this repetitively in quick sequences. Many times my muscles are also sore afterwards, for no explicable reason. They are not sore to the touch, just when being "used".

Does this sound like what you guys are experiencing? It's most common in my legs and when lying down, but also happens when seated.


** Post broken into paragraphs for easier reading. Many people with MS have visual difficulties that prevent them from reading large blocks of print. **

[Echo2099]

As for me Blue

Blue

It sounds similar, but in my case, my muscles aren't sore when used, but some areas in my thigh are tender to the touch.

Having MS I've learned one thing...it affects each of us sort of the same but different! Aren't we just sooooo lucky!