MS Hug - Not the good kind

I woke up one day last week with my now patented "tin-man" walk and was also greeted with an old symptom referred to by many as the MS Hug. By the way this is not the friendly hug you would get from an old friend, it is more like a boa constrictor is going to have you for breakfast. I have never been able to find a great deal of information about this symptom, nor have a seen a treatment for it. For those not blessed with this symptom it is a tightening of the Chest/Abdomen area and for some people it can be quite painful. Now the good news for me at least was that this was not a signal for a full relapse, it was a reminder that I worked a little too hard yesterday . So with a little rest I am feeling much better today, not good enough to try out for the Yankees, but that will have to wait for another day. My old neuro(boy I miss him) called it the "girdle", since I am not a cross dresser I could really do without this symptom. Not every MS'er has this symptom and I have run across many who have never heard of it. I went on an Internet hunt to try and dig up some more info. Here are a few helpful articles I found.

Tips for Managing the MS Hug - This one was chock full of good tips I have not seen collected in one article. Great stuff for avoiding and not getting the Hug in the first place.

Multiple Sclerosis Hug or Girdle This person gets it. And it was the only place I was able to find a why. Yes I am a little like Curious George I need to know why. Exert -

"There are tiny muscles between each rib, called intercostal muscles which basically hold the ribs together, but also give the ribcage some flexibility; it's when these muscles go into spasm that we get the MS hug, a friendly description of an extremely uncomfortable and often painful symptom."

MS Hug by Dr. Stachowiak - Great Overview I forgot to include in my first version

If any of you out there have found another tip please post it in the comment section

And now is time for my shameless self promotion but with a cause

***Listing now includes 2 stickers for $3.75****This is a 4' x 6" Bumper Sticker that we sell in the store, and it has become my favorite since it conveys my attitude about multiple sclerosis(No I am not mad at Mississippi) You can purchase one of these stickers by clicking the image below or by clicking the "Buy Now" button below that. We make monthly donations to many chapters and the National MS Society