Being diagnosed withmultiple sclerosiscan, naturally, have an enormous impact on your life.
symptom, especially as the disease progresses.
flares when symptoms get worse.
People living with multiple sclerosis talk about how they manage spasticity.
Below, SELF spoke to three people with M.S.
about how spasticity affects their lives and how they manage the symptoms.
Ive had to become aware of triggers, individuals, and environments that create stressful situations.
Autumn Grant, 29, was diagnosed with M.S.
For Grant,M.S.
spasticitymakes her muscles become tight, experience contractions, and feel fatigued.
In addition, she deals with painful joint stiffness and lower back pain.
The pain, fatigue, and spasticity are mentally draining and can become very frustrating, Grant tells SELF.
There are times when Grant feels so helpless she gets mad at her own body.
symptoms such as spasticity worse.
She also has found that supplements like magnesium provide some relief for her symptoms.
(Magnesium deficiency can bring about muscle cramps or spasms, according to theU.S.
Shes also worked to reduce her overall stress levels, which can of course be easier said than done.
I believe multiple sclerosis is both a mental and physical battle.
journey, she says.
Grant considers herself an M.S.
thriver and shares her multiple sclerosis insight and encouragement with others on her Instagram@alwaysautumncrafts.
I am always afraid of having a bad flare and experiencing stiffness and numbness.
Her eye issues were just the beginning.
diagnosis on the first day of 2020.
It took over three months for John to regain mobility.
Now, her spasticity flares sometimes make her legs go numb.
When that happens, John usually loses mobility, and her husband helps her move around their home.
Depending on the severity, she says these periods can last for a few days to months.
It is very frustrating, she tells SELF.
I am always afraid of having a bad flare and experiencing stiffness and numbness.
If shes feeling really stiff or getting a lot of discomfort, she will doyoga.
She also finds that staying in a positive mental space through meditation can help her.
Despite the fear and frustration of living with M.S.
She is passionate about adding representation within the M.S.
community, creating space for Black M.S.
warriors, and empowering modern women to live purposefully with chronic illness.
These spaces allow her to share her story and help others do the same.
So far, exercise is what works the best for me.
MS Positivefounder Maytee Ramos, 44, was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting M.S.
Like many others with M.S., Ramos is very familiar with the painful and often debilitating effects of spasticity.
It also makes her fingers curl.
Sometimes spasticity can be painful, especially on the torso area, if the muscles are too tight.
When her spasticity symptoms first started, Ramos took medications to manage the symptoms.
Between these and other symptoms, she decided to instead have a go at manage spasticity with exercises.
I do a lot of stretching, chair yoga, and strengthening exercises with weights.
So far, exercise is what works the best, she says.
Ramos also uses aportable massage gunto release areas of tension when needed.
I apply it on my calf and ankle before going to bed, she says.
Hopefully, the above glimpses into how three people with M.S.
But, of course, every person will find relief in different ways.
