Numbness is one of the most common symptoms those with MS experience. The numbness can manifest in a myriad of ways. Some will experience a tingling of pins and needles across their body, others may feel burning sensations, and still others may lose complete sensation of one or more parts of their body.
There is no way to predict how numbness will affect you, and there is no treatment proven to eliminate the numbness completely. However, there are many ways you can cope with and reduce your numbness. The following approaches can help you reduce your MS numbness, restore sensation, and may even reduce the likelihood of your numbing symptoms flaring up again.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a very popular, holistic approach to chronic pain and numbness. Many often seek acupuncture to reduce migraines, anxiety, and arthritis pain. For those with MS, acupuncture is a popular alternative therapy for MS patients, because it can restore sensation to the specific areas of numbness. This is because acupuncture stimulates circulation and influences the behavior of the brain’s neurotransmitters through its use of specifically placed needles. This is especially important for those with MS.
While MS causes neurotransmitters to misfire and miscommunicate, acupuncture can return normal communication between the nervous system and the rest of the body and restore sensation to the affected areas. While the effects of acupuncture are rarely long term, continued visits and proper discussion between you, your doctor, and your acupuncturist can provide much needed relief.
Hot and Cold
Quick changes in temperature, when focused on the particular area of numbness, can provide quick relief, especially among those who experience the burning numbness or the tingling of cold numbness.
For those with Dyesthesia, or burning numbness, applying cold packs or submerging the body part in cold water can greatly relieve the sensation for a period of time. Even cold hardwood or tiled floors can provide relief for burning feet, so consider walking barefoot along these types of surfaces if you are experiencing this kind of numbness.
For those with Paresthesia, or tingling numbness, warming packs are great for reducing symptoms. You can purchase heating wraps that can be heated in the microwave. They are made of beads that retain the heat and can be worn across the feet, along the shoulders, on the back, or wherever you are experiencing numbness.
Modify Your Diet
Sometimes your symptoms are caused by an outlier that is affecting your nervous system, causing them to manifest in a numbing sensation across a certain part of your body. Often, this outlier is in your diet. Many patients with MS pinpoint wheat gluten as a cause to many of their symptom outbreaks, and once they remove it from their diets, they notice a drastic decrease in their symptoms. Eating gluten-free and anti-inflammatory foods can help you better manage your MS symptoms.
Try eliminating key ingredients from your daily meal plans, like gluten, dairy, and sugar, and note if there are any changes in your symptoms. It is important to make these changes slowly, removing one ingredient at a time. This will not only help you narrow down the possible influences over your symptoms, but it will also reduce the stress on your body. Dietary changes can throw off the balance of your body and cause new symptom outbreaks, so discuss with your doctor the best way to approach a new diet and implement it healthily.
Prescription Drugs
Finally, there are medications on the market that your physician can prescribe to reduce your MS numbness. Many of these medications focus on the vitamin deficiencies that can influence outbreaks, especially vitamin B12. You will need to discuss these side effects with your doctor and communicate your specific needs before you pursue a prescription.
In conclusion
Unfortunately, there is no outright cure for MS or for its symptoms. Although numbness rarely affects large areas of the body and is usually minimal in its discomforts, there are still many ways you can approach your MS numbness and reduce it significantly. Holistic approaches like acupuncture or simple changes to your diet can have amazing results. Additionally, if you are among the small population of patients who experience severe MS numbness, prescription drugs can greatly reduce your symptoms.
However, finding the right approach is entirely up to you. Talk with your doctor and others in the MS community in order to find the approach that’s right for you. Only you know how your body will respond to certain behaviors, and this is important when deciding how you will reduce your MS numbness.