When you think of a hug, you typically think of something warm and inviting, happy and comforting. For people who suffer from Multiple Sclerosis (MS), however, the "MS Hug" means something entirely different.

MS is a chronic and unpredictable disease in which the body basically attacks itself. Put simply: The immune systems attacks myelin, which acts as a protective sheath around all the nerves in the body. Damage to myelin causes a breakdown in communication between your central nervous system and your brain, spinal cord and other areas of your body.

This breakdown in communication can lead to a long list of symptoms, ranging from double or blurry vision to slurred speech to irreversible neurological damage that eventually may cause the loss of the ability to walk.

One of the common neurological symptoms of MS is what is commonly referred to as the "MS Hug." It is sometimes also called "girdle-band sensation." People who suffer from it often refer to it as something much less mundane-sounding – "The Death Grip."