MS Physical Therapy: Physical and Other Therapies used for MS

Can MS physical therapy be used to help reduce the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis?

Doing intense physical therapy with those that have been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis can help to reduce symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis and help to improve how well these people can function in many ways.

Some of the symptoms of MS that Physical therapy can help to improve include the following:

* reduce spasticity
* increase muscle strength
* increase muscle mass
* improve overall physical balance
* improve how well a person can stand by improving balance during movement
* improve how long a person with MS can stand before they have to sit down and rest, by improving endurance and stamina.

Click on the link to find out more - MS physical therapy

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What are the Signs and Symptoms of MS?

What is Multiple Sclerosis?

Multiple Sclerosis is considered to be an “autoimmune disorder”.

What does that mean?

This means that somehow the body, particularly the immune system and the central nervous systems, become confused or scrambled. Basically, the nerve signals become confused and the signals become crossed, which results in the body attacking itself, as if it is a "foreign invader" that it must protect itself against, instead of the immune system supporting the body, fighting off infections, and defending against foreign invaders, as it should be doing.

The majority of people that are diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis fall between the ages of 18 to 45 years old, although the average is more between 25 and 35. Although people can be diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at just about any age, this is more the average as to when the signs of MS typically begin to appear. The incident rate of Multiple Sclerosis tends to be higher in the countries that are located in the temperate zones, both above and below the equator, away from the tropical regions of the globe. I think it is curious that the higher incident rate of Multiple Sclerosis, also tends to occur in the more industrialized countries, which have more chemical plants, that produce large quantities of man-made or synthetic chemicals.

What are the signs and symptoms of MS ?

Typical signs of ms include, memory problems (which are often discounted initially as “being forgetful”, or some standing, walking or balancing problems may begin to appear. Odd pains, tingling or numbness may also appear and disappear over a period of time, with no apparent pattern or frequency as to when they appear or disappear. Vision problems may start to appear that can include focus problems, double vision, dimness, or maybe even eye pain. Cognitive problems may also appear including problems figuring things out (numbers, concepts, problems, and the like) -- that were not a problem for the person before the symptoms of MS began to appear. It may also start happening that the person, that may have Multiple Sclerosis, that hasn't been diagnosed yet, might start having problems understanding what they read or with difficulty understanding what people say to them. This can also contribute to a slower response time or more difficulties driving a car. Overwhelming fatigue might occur and stay for a while or it may come and go off and on for a period of time. Bladder incontinence or bladder control problems may also begin to occur.

When do these signs and symptoms of MS become symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis?

Typically these early signs grouped together are part of what may cause doctors to consider testing to see if the person may have Multiple Sclerosis. One test for Multiple Sclerosis, that can be performed to determine if this person has signs of Multiple Sclerosis, is done using a Magnetic Resonace Imaging or MRI machine. A MRI machine is used to do a series of scans on he body, where the person being tested is placed in a tube like device that is mostly enclosed, that can be used to scan part or the whole entire body, if need be.

More often than not, the scans for MS are done on the Brain and the Spinal cord and are used to determine the diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. When the MRI testing is used for diagnosing MS, scarring appears on the films, and is most often seen as scarring in the brain or on the spinal cord. A spinal tap can also be performed, where fluid is drawn from the spine and is tested for the presence of protein markers, which are specific to the presence of Multiple Schlerosis.

If eye pain is also present, a retinal scan can also be performed to determine if scarring is present on the retinal nerve, which may be causing the eye pain. Typically, the patient is checked for brain tumors also, when the eye pain is present, to rule this out as a possibility or to differentiate between retinal scarring in MS compared to a brain tumor being present.

Once the person is diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, then the symptoms of ms are more officially labeled. Depending on how severe the scarring appears on the MRI test results, there may be a list of symptoms that can vary from mild to severe in intensity and frequency.

Next, the doctors consider what to do to treat Multiple Sclerosis symptoms.

Typically there are injectable drugs that are used for treating MS. But within the last 10 years, doctors are turning to more of a complimentary medical approach to treating Multiple Sclerosis, that includes the injectable drugs, along with intense physical therapy, dietary changes, vitamin and other food supplements, acupuncture, reflexology, massage therapy and a whole host of other Alternative and Natural ways to help reduce the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis.

For more information about what Alternative and Natural ways that I have found that reduce my symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis, go to http://www.TamingMultipleSclerosis.com to learn more.


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MS walking, standing and balancing?

Can those of us who have been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis walk again? That’s an interesting question that appears to have many answers. I was told by the doctors, after I was first diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis…

So, how does it feel to have an “incurable disease” ?

What can you say to people, who say these kinds of things to you? I’m not sure, but I do know that somehow all of the many different Alternative and Natural ways that I have tried, tested and still use for me, while working closely with my team of doctors, of course (each doctor has their own specialty) -- has been gradually helping to resolve many of the more severe symptoms of MS that I was experiencing after I was first diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

Is there a cure for Multiple Sclerosis?

I don’t know, but I figure anything that can help at all to relieve even some of my symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis -- is worth its weight in gold to me!

It can be difficult or sometimes it can seem almost impossible…on the worst days, to go on when your symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis are so severe and there appears…not to be any relief in sight. But I’m here to tell you, because I’m living proof, that we can’t just give up after we have been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, as if our lives are over. If we do that, we have much less of a chance of anything improving. Just keep fighting and searching for things that can help to relieve your own symptoms of MS and eventually you will find something that helps reduce your symptoms of MultipleSclerosis!

I’m NOT telling you to give up totally on doctors – that would be a very foolish thing to do. It’s just that there are so many different types of doctors out there, in the whole wide world that somehow, some way, we have to find the doctor (or doctors) that have more expertise and experience in working with whatever modality or way that you are considering pursuing as a potential way that may help to reduce your particular set of symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis.

I really believe that and I’m going to do what I can to give you much of the information about things that I have tried, tested and learned about, as far as the Alternative and Natural ways that are out there – that have helped me in the past, that CAN help to reduce even more of your particular set of symptoms of MS. It just might be that, along the way, this information might help you, working with your doctor of course, to help you find relief to your particular set of symptoms of MS too.

One thing that I MUST say is that any of the information that I discuss, about my particular case of Multiple Sclerosis, may not help everyone, because there is such a broad range of any combination of symptoms for each case of MS. No two cases are alike. This means that the information that I discuss has to be reviewed by your own licensed medical doctors and it needs to be decided by your own doctor, to determine if the information is an option for being used for your particular case of MS, for helping to reduce your symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis.

Because of my own “trial and error” period of time that I went through, while battling with a very severe case of Multiple Sclerosis -- I know what it is like -- firsthand – to be living with Multiple Sclerosis. My symptoms were so terrible for the first few years after I was diagnosed with MS, that I had so many days, that I just did not function. But in spite of all that I have been through, I’m determined to find whatever I can to help me be able to function again, even if it is a very gradual process for me to reach my goals, from a health point of view.
From a neurological point of view, my neurologist has determined, through performing another set of MRI tests on my spine that the major scarring, that was originally on my upper spine, is now totally gone – 12 years later!

The next phase is back to physical therapy. My neurologist sounds optimistic that sending me for intense physical therapy for 3 months, could improve how well I can balance, stand and walk. One step at a time, so to speak!

But in the process of what I have gone through, I have decided that I want to do what I can to let other people know more about what I have learned during my own battle with the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis, that has helped to reduce my symptoms of MS and helped to gradually restore more function to my body, in the hopes that it will help others find relief from their own symptoms of MS. I still struggle with some symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis from, day to day, but the symptoms that I do have more of a problem with most recently are not as severe or frequent as right after I was first diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

To find out more about what I have learned that has helped reduce the symptoms of MS, go to http://www.TamingMultipleSclerosis.com/ for information.

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