Spasticity
But what is spasticity? Spasticity refers to feelings of stiffness and a wide range of involuntary muscle spasms (sustained muscle contractions or sudden movements). It can vary from mild muscle stiffness, to more uncontrollable shaking and spasms. In the past, when I had a relapse, the stiffness would be extreme which would make moving my legs hard, let alone walking. I used to have to hobble about.
Current symptoms
Recently I've noticed that I've got stiffness in my right leg in my thigh and around my knee. This is making walking difficult, which is a real pain. It's odd getting a new symptom in remission. Maybe it's just something I need to expect since I've had MS for so long.
Or maybe there's another reason. It could be because it's starting to get a bit warmer now, or maybe it's a relapse?
What is a relapse?
The definition of a relapse on the MS Society website "a relapse is defined by 'the appearance of new symptoms, or the return of old symptoms, for a period of 24 hours or more – in the absence of a change in core body temperature or infection'". Symptoms you have experienced before, or perhaps grown used to dealing with, might appear in a different part of the body.
Now it mentions core temperature, but it certainly hasn't been hot enough for me to really suffer with the heat. I first noticed it when we were on holiday at the beginning on half term, so maybe I've just been overdoing it?
Mystery pain
However, now I sit down to think about it, I have been suffering from a bad elbow pain over the last 6 weeks. It sounded like tennis elbow when I googled the symptoms, and I've just been waiting for it to get better, but according to another article I've just found it could actually be my MS. It's a real burning pain in the muscle around my elbow and on my arm, and it's very stiff. It's hard to straighten my arm too. I've never had it before and is persistent to say the least.
The fact that the symptoms are all down the right side of my body, and they are new, leads me to think it may be a mild relapse but luckily I have a phone call with my consultant on Thursday anyway so I can discuss it with him and try and work out what's going on.
In other news...
We had a great half term. We went to Whitemead Forest Park in the Forest of Dean for a couple of nights and it was loads of fun. I heartily recommend it! I even managed a day at out Birdland nearby in the Cotswolds. Nice to have some quality family time.
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