Learn About Medical Conditions

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a nervous system disease that affects your brain and spinal cord. It damages the myelin sheath, the material that surrounds and protects your nerve cells. This damage slows down or blocks messages between your brain and your body, leading to the symptoms of MS. They can include:

• Visual disturbances
• Muscle weakness
• Trouble with coordination and balance
• Sensations such as numbness, prickling or “pins and needles”
• Thinking and memory problems

No one knows what causes MS. It may be an autoimmune disease, which happens when your body attacks itself. Multiple sclerosis affects woman more than men. It often begins between the ages of 20 and 40. Usually, the disease is mild, but some people lose the ability to write, speak or walk.

What treatments are available?

A diagnosis of MS may start with nerve conduction studies to pinpoint the cause and extent of damage. There is no cure for MS, but medicines may slow it down and help control symptoms. Physical and occupational therapy may also help by treating specific challenges as they arise. Conserving energy or not “overdoing it” is important in the effective management of MS, but not being physically active often makes the symptoms worse. Physical therapy, that provides an appropriate exercise regiment and guidance for the duration and intensity of exercise, can be especially helpful. An occupational therapist may make useful recommendations for adapting the home or activities to keep that balance of conserving and keeping active. Managing weight can also help reduce severity of symptoms.

If MS progresses to the point where an individual must use a wheelchair, an occupational therapist will help with proper seating and positioning in the chair.