Extremities

The majority of MS patients will experience problems with their limb functions, which can range from mild -- such as numbness or tingling in the early stages of the disease, to muscle weakness, problems with gait and coordination, and balance issues as the disease progresses. For some patients, this means that living with MS will also mean learning to use canes, walkers or wheelchairs. Physical therapy and other technologies can help manage muscle control and strength in many patients. Immobility may lead to pressure sores, or bedsores. Immobile patients will experience more rapid and severe loss in muscle tone, as well as more progressive weakness, than those who remain active.

Some MS patients will develop tremors, or uncontrollable shaking, as a result of damage to the nerve pathways that are responsible for movement, although this symptom is less common than other physical symptoms of the disease. Other patients will experience regular, uncomfortable itching, called pruritus, as one of the sensations that comes with the jumbled nerve transmissions.

Skeletal Problems

Limited motion, the effects of MS medications and other factors can put MS patients at an increased risk for developing skeletal problems, such as osteoporosis. MS patients who have weakened bones are more likely to have broken or fractured bones.

Bladder and Bowel Problems

More than 80 percent of MS patients will develop some level of bladder dysfunction, according to the NMSS, with some experiencing problems to the point where a catheter is necessary. The damage to the nerves that control the bladder can result in frequent urinary tract infections (UTIs), as well as bladder and kidney infections.