Can someone help me understand what is going on

[cavan]

I am new to all of this and lately I have been experiencing some new symptoms. For example,
sometimes my legs ache so bad I am unable to walk normal. My friends who don't know about
my diagnosis would ask, "what is wrong with your leg?" or "did you hurt your foot?" The best way I can explain it is my legs just ache so bad. They feel so heavy. I am not sure what is going on when this happens.

[Seasha]

cavan- it sounds like you are experiencing spasticity in your legs. I get that too and the heaviness and achy feeling is one of my worst symptoms. It is a fairly common sx for us MSers. It is caused by the demyelination along the nerves of the brain & spinal cord that control movement.

"Spasticity refers to feelings of stiffness and a wide range of involuntary muscle spasms (sustained muscle contractions or sudden movements). It is one of the more common symptoms of MS. Spasticity may be as mild as the feeling of tightness of muscles or may be so severe as to produce painful, uncontrollable spasms of extremities, usually of the legs. Spasticity may also produce feelings of pain or tightness in and around joints, and can cause low back pain. Although spasticity can occur in any limb, it is much more common in the legs."

Full article - https://www.nationalmssociety.org/Sy...oms/Spasticity

See if what you are describing fits this. If it becomes unbearable, you should talk to your Dr. about symptom management via medication. Physical therapy can help too!
Take care.

[Marco]

I am sorry that you are experiencing new symptoms, especially
pain. It does sound like you are describing spasticity.

I use a simple rope to describe muscle tone & spasticity.

A rope is loose and should be able flexible like a jump rope.
Your muscles without any tone are limp as well. Normally
your muscles have a certain amount of tone to maintain
your postures, open a door, turn your head, etc, etc.

Too little tone and you are unable to easily do things because
your muscles are mushy. Think about trying to shoot a pool
(billiards) or pretend to play baseball and swing a rope bat.
That doesn't work well because the rope doesn't have enough
tone.

Too much tone and your muscles are contracting too much and
reduces your range of motion. The more tone the smaller motion
range you have. Take the rope that you can jump with and tighten
it enough and it can support a human (tight rope walker). For us,
that makes every day tasks exhausting because we are fighting \
against ourselves.


I wish you well...

[502E79]

Cavan,

I was going to fashion a response but cannot improve on Marco's explaination.

Sorry that your body feels as it does, like something foreign, but you will begin to understand the relationship the CNS has with any and all of our facilities.

A learning curve but you will adjust!

[cavan]

Thank you Seasha, Marco & 502E79

It is awesome how the people on this board take time out to respond to questions
and educate the new people recently diagnosed.
Doctors are not always available to contact so it is so comforting to be able to
post questions and have knowledgeable people respond.
Hope everyone has a great day !