Question about spacicity

[mary_kay]

My legs (sudden onset Thursday) feel like this:  The fronts feel rubbery like right after you workout with weights.  The backs (hamstrings, glutes, calves) feel sore like I worked out with weights the day before.  That adds up to weakness, heavyness....Is that what it feels like to be spastic?

[mary_kay]

Yes. The quads feel weak.  My knees feel sore and weak.  The glutes, hamstrings and calves are sore like sore muscles from a workout. I think my legs below my knees are swinging funny when I walk. Getting up from a chair or climbing up and down stairs is ......difficult. I have no foot drop at all.  I know I am walking "funny"   kind of like a penguin instead of a woman!  LOL    
Grateful for your input as always,
Mary Kay

[Quixotic1]

My picture when I read you message is that you have weakness in the quads, the front of your thighs, but not spasticity.  I have that rubbery, jello-like feeling and it is in the weakest muscles.  Actually I don't know.

You might ask for a physical therapy eval.  a good PT could tell you.

Quix

[jensequitur]

I think so - anything that is good for the muscles is good for spasticity.  Heat, ice packs, massage, stretches, even lifting weights is good.  My honey helps by massaging my hands and arms when they get really bad - sometimes it can set off a muscle spasm!  But when he's done, it feels better.

I had a foot cramp the other night, and hubby tried to help me by massaging my foot, but it just made it cramp more.  So I straightened out my leg and foot to flex the opposing muscle, and my calf cramped up!  Sheesh.  Finally it stopped cramping and I was able to go back to sleep.

[mary_kay]

So, does it help at all to stretch out my legs?  Y'know like toe touches (as if!!)

[mary_kay]

thanks....I have read about it and understand the part about opposing muscle groups, but I never read anywhere about the soreness or rubbery feeling.  So THAT'S why I got stuck in the bathtub.....uh huh

[Deb61]

Spasticity is like Jen described--soreness without any identifiable cause for it.  It's what causes most of my pain and I don't like it. :( Deb

[jensequitur]

Yup...  The weakness is from MS activity, not spasticity - but the soreness is definitely spasticity.  Anything that's sore or cramps up without reason is spasticity, in my opinion.  Especially if the muscle cramps after a little bit of use, and feels weak.