Spasms

MS can cause muscle spasms. Let’s give MS something to feel tense about.

Muscle spasms and spasticity are common symptoms of MS, affecting around 60–90% of people living with MS.^1–4

Spasticity is an uncontrolled stiffening or tensing of your muscles. Spasms are a type of spasticity that happens suddenly. They’re caused by a sudden tightening of your muscles, which can make your legs or arms kick out or jerk.²

Spasms can make your muscles contract continually or they can alternate between contracting and relaxing.^5,6 They can force your legs and arms to bend or straighten.^3,7

Spasms can happen wherever you have muscles in your body, including your¹:

• Legs and arms
• Rectal and bladder muscles
• Face
• Tongue
• Throat
• Chest and torso

Some types of spasm are common, and some don’t affect many people at all. People most commonly get spasms in their arms, legs and torso muscles.^2,4 You can read about the different types of spasm in the next sections.

Spasticity is a common symptom of MS. Spasticity is when your muscles feel stiff, heavy or hard to move.^4,8 The feeling of spasticity can range from mild to severe and can change over time, even throughout the day.^2,4 For some people, spasms and spasticity can cause pain; take a look at the ‘pain’ section to find out more about how you can deal with pain caused by your MS.

For some people, spasms are just part of life with MS. It might feel embarrassing to talk about things like bladder and rectal spasms, but talking to your healthcare team can take a weight off your shoulders and help you get the right treatment to keep them under control.

Yes, spasms can be embarrassing, but if you speak to your healthcare team, there are ways that they can help.

Katie

Living with MS since 2016

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Like other MS symptoms, muscle spasms are caused by nerve damage in the brain and spinal cord. This damage can interfere with the connection between your brain and muscles.⁹

When messages between the brain and muscles are interrupted, various things can happen. The muscle can get stuck in a contracted state, making it feel stiff or tight and often difficult to move. This is known as spasticity.⁸ Or, it can cause overstimulation of the muscles, leading to muscle spasms.⁹

Spasticity and spasms can be triggered by sudden movements or changing position, extreme temperatures, humidity, infections, anxiety, posture and even tight clothing.^7,10,11

Read on to find out more about the different types of spasms and how you can manage them.

What are leg spasms?

Leg spasms are one of the most common types of MS spasm, but everyone’s experience will be different. Leg spasms can force your leg to bend or straighten without you controlling it.^5,12 Your muscles might contract continuously or on and off in waves. Leg spasms can be triggered by things like heat, posture or certain movements.^10,11

Basically, you’re sitting down and the next thing you know your leg goes into spasm and kicks out straight in front of you. I’ll randomly kick into the air and be wondering what that was. It feels like my muscles have a mind of their own! I have lashed people under the table with it. You’ll be sitting across from me and ‘bang!’

Katie

Living with MS since 2016

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How can I manage leg spasms?

• Exercise – any exercise that builds your muscle strength can help with spasticity. Exercise in water can help support you and build your muscles if your legs and arms are weak, and exercises like yoga have the added benefit of being relaxing.^12,13
• Stretching – there are specific stretching exercises you can do to help relieve spasms and spasticity. Talk to your healthcare team about a plan that’s right for you.¹²
• Warm baths – to relax your muscles and help you feel calmer.¹² Some people find that heat can trigger their MS symptoms. If this is the case for you, take care not to make your bath too hot.^7,11
• Relaxation – anxiety can be a trigger for spasticity, so techniques to reduce stress can help avoid spasticity. See our mental health section for more information on how to reduce stress and deal with anxiety.
• TENS (Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation) – this is an electronic device to stimulate particular muscles to help relieve spasticity.¹²
• Leg braces – you can get special braces to keep your feet and legs in alignment and prevent uncontrolled contractions and movements.¹²
• Medications prescribed by your doctor – your doctor might prescribe injections or tablets that can help relax your muscles.¹²

Try some of the above suggestions and talk to your healthcare team, so they can advise you on which treatments will work best for you.

What are bladder spasms?

Bladder spasms can make you feel like you need to go to the toilet more often and more urgently.¹⁴ You might feel like you need to go again, even if your bladder isn’t actually that full.^3,7 Bladder spasms can interfere with all aspects of your life, from a good night out to having a good night’s sleep.¹⁴

Even if you have just gone the toilet, 5 minutes later you can feel like you need to go again…. When I’m out and about, I’ll always be aware of how much I’m drinking, and I always know where the toilets are!

Grace

Living with MS since 2017

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I try to make sure bladder spasms don’t interfere with my social life – it helps if I go to places where I know that there will be toilets close by before I go out.

Katie

Living with MS since 2016

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Bladder spasms happen when muscles in your bladder involuntarily contract, which increases pressure and reduces the amount of urine it can hold. When that happens, you may have to go to the toilet more often or urgently.¹⁴ About two-thirds of people with MS experience ‘overactive’ bladder symptoms, which is often caused by bladder spasms.⁸

Spasms in the bladder muscles can also stop the flow of urine. This means you might not be able to go to the toilet when you need to, or you might not be able to fully empty your bladder. This can be very uncomfortable and cause urinary tract infections.^15,16 In fact, infections can be the first sign that bladder spasms are happening.¹⁶

How can I manage bladder spasms?

Although you can’t always stop bladder spasms from happening, there are some things you can do to prevent problems caused by them:^14,17,18

• Keep an eye on your fluid intake – stay hydrated by drinking 6–8 glasses of water a day.¹⁰ Be mindful of drinking lots all at once if you’re not near a toilet
• Try to cut down on caffeine (found in tea and coffee) and alcohol – these are both diuretics, which means they make you go to the toilet more
• Exercise – if you have bladder issues, strengthening exercises like Pilates can help build your core muscles, and doesn’t put as much strain on your bladder as high impact exercises. Thirty minutes of exercise a day can improve bladder control and it can also help cut down on excess weight that could put a strain on your bladder
• Try to stop or cut down on smoking – this can help stop coughing, which puts a strain on the bladder
• Use protection – discrete incontinence pads can help make you feel more secure and confident

If the effects of bladder spasms become severe, there are certain medications that your doctor can prescribe to help. For example, there are medicines which can relax the bladder by blocking messages that cause it to contract.¹⁵ You can also have Botox injections, which stop the muscles contracting and can last several months. If you’re not able to empty your bladder fully because of a spasm in the ‘closing’ muscle, you might need to use a catheter. This is a tube that goes from your bladder to the outside of your body, which helps drain urine out.¹⁵

I often have back and leg spasms, but the worst one for me is bladder spasms. It got so bad that I went to see my neurologist about them. I was mortified having to talk about such an embarrassing topic. I’m 26 years old, I haven’t had kids, and I just think how I shouldn’t have to deal with these issues.

Katie

Living with MS since 2016

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I would recommend talking to your doctor about your bladder problems sooner rather than later – don’t put it off. Even if you think it’s embarrassing, remember that plenty of other people are experiencing the exact same thing as you. Your neurologist has seen and heard it all before, so don’t be afraid to talk to them about these issues – just go and get it sorted!

Katie

Living with MS since 2016

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What are rectal spasms and bowel issues?

Some people living with MS can experience rectal spasms and bowel issues, such as constipation and diarrhoea. This type of bowel issue can be made worse by bowel spasticity.¹⁹ Having this type of symptom can really get in the way of daily life. Studies estimate that 40% to 70% of people with MS will experience bowel problems at some point in their lives.^20,21

Spasms in your rectum or bowel happen when nerve signals between these muscles and your brain get disrupted. Sometimes, this means your body doesn’t get the message that it’s time for a bowel movement and you become constipated – studies estimate that between a third and half of people living with MS experience constipation at some point in their lives.^20–22

Diarrhoea can be caused by muscle spasms in the colon, which can speed up your bowel movements.^17,23 Rectal spasms can feel like a sharp pain in your rectum and it can feel like you need to go to the toilet even when you don’t.²²

How can I manage rectal spasms and bowel issues?

Rectal and bowel spasms usually go away on their own, but if they are bothering you, there are things you can do to help minimise the problems they can cause.

• A warm bath – this can help relieve a painful rectal spasm and help relax your muscles.¹⁹ Make sure you keep your bath a comfortable temperature and don’t make it too hot, as heat can trigger MS symptoms for some people^6,11
• Stay hydrated – drink 6–8 glasses of water every day. This makes it less likely that you’ll be constipated^10,21
• Include plenty of fibre in your diet – eat fruit and vegetables to reduce the effects of constipation.^19,21
• Establish a regular pattern – try to go to the toilet at the same time each day^21,24
• Prescribed medicines – if your bowel problems are really getting in the way of your life, your doctor can prescribe medicines to relax your muscles^12,23

It can be a difficult subject, but it’s really important that you ask your doctor for help if you need it. They can advise you on how to best manage these symptoms, so they don’t get in the way of your life.

Also known as a hemifacial spasm, a facial spasm is when the muscles on one side of your face twitch or contract on their own. Facial spasms are extremely rare in MS.²⁵

They can be treated with Botox injections, so talk to your doctor about this treatment option if facial spasms are bothering you.²⁶

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