Ask the Expert: MS Hug

Posted on May 1, 2026 by MSAA

Featuring Barry A. Hendin, MD

MSAA’s Chief Medical Officer

Barry Hendin, MD

Question: What causes the pain and tight pressure around the body known as an “MS hug,” how is it treated, and can it be avoided?

Answer: The causes of the MS hug aren’t entirely clear, but we believe it is caused by an inflammation or injury to the nerves of the central nervous system (CNS), consisting of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. This inflammation interrupts nerve impulses and sends mixed signals to the body and the muscles. When experiencing these symptoms for the first time, it is often uncomfortable and disturbing. The term “hug” may sound inappropriate as a hug normally refers to a warm and affectionate feeling, unlike an “MS hug” that can be quite uncomfortable.

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Ask the Expert: Visual Disorders

Posted on February 27, 2026 by MSAA

Featuring Barry A. Hendin, MD

MSAA’s Chief Medical Officer

Barry Hendin, MD

Question: What types of visual disorders may be caused by MS, and are any types of visual issues not typically associated with MS?

Answer: Visual signs and symptoms are common in multiple sclerosis and ultimately affect the majority of people with MS at some time in their lives. Problems occur when there is demyelination of the optic nerve or the brain stem centers that control eye movements.

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Ask the Expert: Depression

Posted on December 29, 2025 by MSAA

Featuring Barry A. Hendin, MD

MSAA’s Chief Medical Officer

Barry Hendin, MD

Question: What should care partners do if they suspect depression in their loved one with MS, and what are the treatment options?

Answer: Like other medical illnesses, depression is often a shared experience between the person experiencing it and their care partner. It’s helpful to be an empathetic listener and supporter, rather than believing that it’s up to you to fix it.

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Ask the Expert: Anxiety

Posted on October 31, 2025 by MSAA

Featuring Barry A. Hendin, MD

MSAA’s Chief Medical Officer

Barry Hendin, MD

Question: What are the symptoms of anxiety, and how does anxiety differ from depression?

Answer: It is common for people with and without MS to experience anxiety from time to time. Anxiety can be helpful in fact, alerting us to dangers around us or focusing our attention on stressors. Anxiety, however, can become more problematic when it’s severe, pervasive, and persistent. Then it becomes a disorder: generalized anxiety disorder. At that point, it distracts from our quality of life.

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Ask the Expert: Balance Problems

Posted on August 27, 2025 by MSAA

Featuring Barry A. Hendin, MD

MSAA’s Chief Medical Officer

Barry Hendin, MD

Question: In what ways are exercise, environment, and equipment involved with balance for individuals with MS?

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Ask the Expert: Heat Sensitivity

Posted on June 30, 2025 by MSAA

Featuring Barry A. Hendin, MD

MSAA’s Chief Medical Officer

Barry Hendin, MD

Question: What are the symptoms of heat sensitivity in MS, and how is it best treated?

Answer: Heat sensitivity, also known as Uhthoff’s Phenomenon, describes an increase in MS symptomatology caused by overheating. This could be due to external influences, when a person with multiple sclerosis is in an excessively hot environment. Alternatively, this can relate to an internal increase in body temperature due to exercise or infection with fever. Sometimes, of course, it’s a combination of the two when people are exercising in an overheated environment.

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Ask the Expert: Dizziness and Vertigo

Posted on April 30, 2025 by MSAA

Featuring Barry A. Hendin, MD

MSAA’s Chief Medical Officer

Barry Hendin, MD

Question: For people with multiple sclerosis, what can be the causes of dizziness and vertigo?

Answer: Dizziness and vertigo are common in the general population and even more common in people with MS. More than half of people with MS will experience dizziness or vertigo at some point.

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Ask the Expert: Tremor

Posted on March 2, 2025 by MSAA

Featuring Barry A. Hendin, MD

MSAA’s Chief Medical Officer

Barry Hendin, MD

Question: How do tremors with MS differ and what types of treatments help?

Answer: Tremor or shaking is relatively common in multiple sclerosis, affecting as many as one quarter to one half of people living with MS. Tremors may range from a mild nuisance, to moderate or severe, and affect activities of daily living.

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Ask the Expert: Weakness

Posted on December 30, 2024 by MSAA

Featuring Barry A. Hendin, MD

MSAA’s Chief Medical Officer

Barry Hendin, MD

Question: How is weakness in MS best treated?

Answer: Weakness in multiple sclerosis can be divided into “primary weakness,” due to injuries from lesions of the spinal cord and brain; or “secondary weakness,” which comes from issues such as inactivity, fatigue, pain, or medications used to treat multiple sclerosis and its symptoms.

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Ask the Expert: Sleep Issues

Posted on October 28, 2024 by MSAA

Featuring Barry A. Hendin, MD

MSAA’s Chief Medical Officer

Barry Hendin, MD

Question: What types of problems most often interfere with sleep for individuals with MS?

Answer: High quality sleep is generally recognized as an important health benefit for everyone, and this is especially true for people with MS. Poor quality sleep can increase MS symptoms such as fatigue, pain, daytime sleepiness, anxiety, and depression, as well as difficulties with memory and concentration. Unfortunately, more than half of those with MS have some kind of a sleep disorder or sleep dysfunction, which is a higher proportion than for those in the general population.

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