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Spasms and stiffness

Muscle stiffness and spasms are common MS symptoms, and are often described as 'spasticity'.

Muscle spasms or stiffness affect at least 20% of people with MS at some time.

Drugs and therapies (including physiotherapy and occupational therapy) can help you manage these symptoms.

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Understanding spasms and stiffness

Spasms and stiffness can range from a minor annoyance to problems that make daily life and activities uncomfortable, painful and difficult.

Find out more about spasms and stiffness
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Treating spasms and stiffness

Even if you feel your spasms or stiffness are not major problems for you, it is a good idea to make your doctor or MS nurse aware of the issue so that you can find appropriate ways to manage it and avoid complications later on.
Find out about treating spasms and stiffness
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It’s early evening, I’m relaxing watching a bit of TV or reading with my feet up. That’s when it starts: my toe, usually my big toe on my left foot, slowly starts to point towards the ceiling. It aches, I push my toe back down, this repeats for an hour or so. Sometimes it leads to a massive leg spasm, sometimes the toes just twitches away for ages. Ann, a writer living with relapsing MS

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Helpful resources

From symptoms and treatments to accessing care and support, our booklets and factsheets are packed full of information and tips on living well with MS.

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