HI,
I'm a 49 yr old female with lumbar and cervical sttenosis ranging from mild to severe (severe only in 1 cervical forminal). I thought my symptoms were due to the stemosis. I just completed 3 months of PT which has helped a lot with pain management and am continuing in after care and now swimming. I saw a neurologist this week who doesn't think my sypmtoms are due to the stenosis and ordered a brain MRI with contrast. I'll have results net week. Spinal cord from previous MRI of spine showed no leisions.

My dx's range from TMJ, carpel tunnel, tennis elbow, shoulder bursitis, resltess leg syndrom, plantar fascitis, depression (though it si controlled with medication, exercise and a natural optomistic outlook) and of course spinal stenosis.

My symptoms are pain around (not in) most joints, numbess in lower left leg from knee to outside little toe, from left elbow to little finger, now sometimes in the right extremities and occassionally my face (bridge of nose, cheeks and around the mouth. I also have very hyperactive reflexes especially on the left side. I also have muscle guarding in my back and neck with occasional headaches. Muscle pain ranges from 2 to10 depending on what I've been doing. It can be electric, burning and sharp. I have many trigger points and most of the FMS tender pints (though the pain in those is vairiable too.) My legs and arms feel heavy most of the time and I am fatiqued whereas I used to be high energy.

Last fall and winter I had complete bladder incontinence several times. I was doing a lot of horseback riding at the time, riding hard, so I chalked it up to that. It's much better now that I ride less and very leisurely. I still have urgency and some leakage, but have learned to lean forward to completely empty my bladder which helps with that. I have weakenss in my lower left leg and foot (confirmed by both the PT and neuro. If I have a pain flare up or am tired I drag my left foot slightly. My hands and legs shake sometimes only slightly and sometimes it's extreme if I'm really tired, hurting or the slightest bit colld. I have no vision problems other than normal aging. My nerve conduction test and muscles (she listened with a needle) were fine.

The neuro said the facial numbness cannot be caused by stenosis and was concerned about my hyper reflexes. I've read on stenosis forums that both of these are common symptoms for those dx'd with it so am confused as to why the neuro said not related.

We did discuss the possiblity of fibro and maybe scarring on the brain from times when I've been knocked out (of course the MRI can tell us that.) Needless to say I am a little freaked out, especially as I thought we had ruled MS out a couple of months ago.

Can symptoms like intermittent facial numbness,varying pain and weakness be symptomatic of MS? I thought that symptoms were more constant and progressive?

Thanks for any imput.