The joint issues experienced by many MS patients could be referred to as “MS joints”. This term, “multiple sclerosis joints” is an apt way to categorize the joint pains that these patients develop due to various MS-related issues.
It might be tempting to conclude that MS affects the joints in a similar manner to other autoimmune inflammatory diseases like lupus, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. However, this is far from the truth. These latter diseases cause the cartilage to degenerate and, in this way, they result in the inflammation of the joints. Multiple sclerosis does not trigger the degeneration of the connective tissue in this manner. However, it is possible for MS patients to also develop autoimmune inflammatory diseases like the ones described above. When this happens, the MS patients experience symptoms associated with MS as well as symptoms associated with the other diseases they have. Where there are apparent similarities between the different diseases, it may be confusing to determine which disease to attribute those given symptoms to. However, clinical examinations and tests often help to settle such conundrums.
The Factors That Trigger MS Joints
If the destruction of connective tissue is not behind MS joints, then what is? Well, various nerve, muscle, and balance issues can ultimately cause patients to develop the characteristic multiple sclerosis joint pains. One of them is foot drop, a condition that causes the forefoot to “drop”. Because of this condition, the patient cannot move the ankle or toes upwards. The muscles or the associated nerve may be affected and unable to function properly: The nerve may be damaged or the muscles paralyzed.
If only one foot is affected, then the patient limps. He or she has to overcompensate for the foot drop by lifting the knee higher than would normally be the case. Of course this has implications for the patient’s leg and hip joints. As the body is a machine, anything that disrupts the balance in one part of the body is bound to have repercussions for the musculoskeletal system as a whole. This is exactly what happens. If both of the patient’s feet are affected, then the patient’s problems are multiplied.
Another cause of multiple sclerosis joints is plain, simple fatigue. Fatigue is widely known to be a common symptom of multiple sclerosis patients. It is an overpowering symptom that colors every aspect of patients’ lives. In those patients’ whose fatigue is brought on by high temperatures and viral infections, it is not unusual for these circumstances to also trigger their joint problems.
