I can sympathize with your friend. For 5 years I've been disabled by chronic radicular pain (meaning it radiates from it's points of origin.) During that time, I've been through the normal treatments which while they work for some, were ineffective or intolerable for me, especially as I'm sensative to medications.
Finally my insurance has allowed me to see a pain management physician. I don't have MS as your friend does, my original injury was spinal but the majority of my chronic pain stems from chronic muscle spasms. I can tell you what he prescribed for me & that it IS working.
Meds: B vitimins, Magnesium, Kava Kava, Bromelain, and MSM with Glucosamine Chondroiton. All of these he should be able to get at a health food store.
The B vitimins & Magnesium are essential to nerve health. For the B vitimins I take them in an over the counter prenatal vitamin.
For the Magnesium I take 250 mg. You can take more but it can give you the runs too, in which case you just back off on the dose.
Kava Kava is a mild relaxant. It hasn't had the intoxicant or nausiating effects that I got from the narcotics prescribed for me previously. I use the liquid form in a glass of water - 500 mg 2-3 times a day.
MSM & Glucosamines primary effect is on the joints. I use 2000 mg of each a day (they come together in a single tablet but strengths vary depending on manufacturer)
Bromelain is a papya extract. It is sometimes injected directly into herniated discs. I take it in tablet form 1500 mg day.
All of these were prescribed to me by an MD but he should check with his own Dr. I don't know how any of it might affect MS.
Next he prescribed Biofeedback which is teaching me how to alter my bad behavior & to consciously make the muscles relax. By bad behavior I mean the bodies natural responses to non-functional pain. Pain is supposed to warn you of a threat to the body - that something is wrong. When it becomes chronic that message system becomes dysfunctional & we develope guarding postures that are protective yet unnatural, exacerbating rather than alleviating the pain. I have a ways to go yet but it is working. Prior to biofeedback I woke up every time I rolled over which is frequently as due to the pain it's hard to get or stay comfortable - anywhere from every 15 min to an hour throughout every night for 5 years. This of course leaves you chronically exhausted as you don't sleep deeply and the exhaustion feeds & grows the pain. It's a vicious cycle. Now I'm sleeping through the night consistently & dreaming again which is weird.
Finally Physical Therapy. Specifically - Myofascial Release & Trigger Point therapy.
Myofascial Release - Myo = muscle, fascia = a fiberous substance covering the muscle fibers. In chronic muscle spasm both the muscle & the fascia become shortened placing pressure on the nerves & causing pain. Myofascial release is a technique of *gentle* stretching in combination with mild pressure. Regular stretching excercises are great for fitness, but this is different. When you have Chronic muscle spasms, regular exercises cause more pain. With myofascial release & trigger point therapy the muscles are forced to relax and then retrained so that normal exercise & activity can be done without causing more pain.
Trigger point therapy is an accupressure technique & very, very effective. When you press on a tender point there is some local pain. However when you press on a trigger point the pain is much more intense & can make you jump thus it's also called a "jump point." The pain from trigger points often radiate sending pain elsewhere through the body. i.e. the trigger points in my shoulders send pain shooting down my arms. The trigger point in the muscle just below my elbow sends pain shooting down through my thumb. Besides the intense or radiating pain factor you'll often locate them by feeling a hard knot or "rope" in the muscle.
Trigger Point Therapy involves finding the trigger point (which is easy) & using Ischemic Compression. By compressing the trigger point (mashing down on it) you momentarily deprive the muscle of it's blood supply & the oxygen it needs to spasm. With the compression the pain initially intensifies (it does really really hurt) but it's only momentary. As it's deprived of oxygen it begins to relax until within 1-2 minutes the muscle completely relaxes - spasm gone. Until the muscles are retrained, the relief is only temporary but it does last between several hours to a day or two. In places that aren't easily reached i.e. the back of the neck - 2 tennis ball tied in a sock work well to put pressure on the trigger points. Doing this myself is part of managing my pain.
Lastly there are distraction techniques after releasing the muscle ice can be applied slowly but briefly to the muscle to distract it & increase the muscle length a flexability. Likewise heat i.e. from a blow drier can achieve the same response. A little is good, more is ineffective/detrimental.
Kate
