Multiple sclerosis is a disease that affects the central nervous system.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a progressive disease which means it progresses over time and gets worse over time. This disease affects the central nervous system in various ways such as causing loss of vision, paralysis, muscle weakness or cognitive impairment.
It was once believed that multiple sclerosis was caused by an immune response to an unknown virus or bacteria. However, it has been discovered that multiple sclerosis can also be caused by genetic factors, environmental factors, and other infectious diseases such as Lyme disease.
MS is typically diagnosed between 20-40 years of age but children with MS are rare.
Multiple sclerosis symptoms can be very unpleasant and difficult to deal with. MS makes it hard for people to move, speak, see, or think clearly. It also can cause fatigue, pain in muscles and joints, numbness or tingling sensations in limbs or face, problems with coordination and balance, weakness of limbs due to muscle wasting (atrophy), blurred vision caused by optic neuritis or a blood vessel leak in the brain (hemorrhagic stroke), loss of bladder control due to nerve damage in the spinal cord that can lead to urinary incontinence.
Physical Therapy in Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is not curable but there are treatments that can help ease symptoms and improve quality of life.
Physical therapy for Multiple Sclerosis is a low-impact exercise program that helps people with Multiple Sclerosis strengthen their muscles and improve their gait (how they walk) and their balance and coordination. The exercises are also designed to help prevent falls, which can cause serious injury or death.
Our physiotherapists are trained in different areas such as manual therapy, exercise therapy, electrotherapy and sports rehabilitation. They will give you specific balance exercises and aquatic exercise programs to strengthen your muscles and improve your gait and balance.
After the first treatment session, you are encouraged to speak with your physiotherapist about the latest evidence-based treatments that you can try at home to minimize your risk of complications or re-injury.