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Multiple Sclerosis weakens the body to the point where simple physical activities like walking can feel like a chore. The obvious solution is a stronger body, which regular exercise training can help with. Keep reading to find out how!
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) simply means “multiple scars”. This is because this troublesome autoimmune disease is caused by multiple scars to the protective cover surrounding the central nervous system.
The central nervous system (the neural network linking the brain and spinal cord) is made up of interconnected nerve endings. These nerve endings are made up of nerve cells that have a protective cover called a myelin sheath.
The myelin sheath follows the same principle as the rubber insulation of an electric wire. The rubber insulator of an electric wire works to keep the electric current in the wire so it travels from one end to another without issues. If there's any lesion in the insulator, there's a problem.
In the central nervous system, if the protective cover (myelin sheath) has a scar or a lesion, the signals which the brain sends to the spinal cord are affected. What follows is the autoimmune disease, Multiple Sclerosis.
If certain filters and processes in the body don't work, the immune system can have a difficult time telling “enemies” from “friends”, and will attack everything in the body.
This is what leads to autoimmune conditions.
Multiple Sclerosis is one of such autoimmune conditions.
The immune system identifies the cover around the nerve cells as “enemies” because certain filters, like Vitamin D, are absent. It then attacks the cover and scars it, exposing the nerve cells of the endings connecting the brain and spinal cord.
This break causes the central nervous system to be unable to send messages to the brain and spinal cord the way it should.
The result? Muscle weakness, extreme tiredness, cognitive symptoms, and even issues with the optic nerve that affect the person's vision.
The common denominator with the different types of Multiple Sclerosis is that they take quite a while to diagnose.
They all share the same symptoms to varying degrees. Some symptoms are also more prominent in some types. The following are the types that are known to healthcare professionals:
When symptoms come, stay for 24-36 hours, and leave the body, doctors term this as Clinically Isolated Syndrome. What this means is that doctors suspect MS and will monitor the patient over time to confirm an MS diagnosis.
This is what medical professionals call repeated CIS episodes. However, the episodes will have to not just recur; they have to be more intense than the last time they occurred, before disappearing to reappear later.
In this case, the RRMS ceases, and the symptoms just become part of the person's everyday life, and keep progressing if not properly managed with exercise and other medical management methods.
In the primary progressive MS, where the symptoms just appear once and for all. This one is harder to diagnose, which is why most people with this type are usually in their 40s or 50s. It also affects more women than men. This type of MS hits the optic nerve the hardest.
As a person living with MS or as a person with a loved one living with MS, the best symptom management method to adopt is supervised exercise.
Simple movements like stretching or long walks, and aerobic training can help a person living with MS deal with muscle atrophy.
Exercise training also increases a person's ability to store energy, which, for a person living with MS, comes in very handy to deal with extreme tiredness and improve quality of life.
Exercise also helps with mood and cognitive impairment. This means that cognitive symptoms of MS are going to be taken care of. The endorphins that the person gets will help them stay sharper for longer and help them battle their stress and anxiety.
The best part about exercise for a person living with MS is that they will be able to buy more time to be independent. MS tends to make people reliant on others. Exercise improves mood and muscle strength. All of these, coupled with a few supplements such as Vitamin D supplements, as prescribed by medical professionals, will help the person living with MS feel more capable.
The overall result is that the scans from brain MRI or spinal cord MRI (which a person living with MS undergoing symptoms management and disease-modifying therapies has to get from time to time) will improve over time.
People living with MS only need to exercise because their body needs it. There is no need to copy any influencer or set extreme aerobic fitness goals; just adopt simple and fun exercises (such as resistance exercise and aquatic exercises) because the goal is to stay active and improve your quality of life.
Some gentle options include:
It is important to note that a person living with MS should have an exercise routine that matches their needs. This is why a healthcare provider must be involved.
The healthcare provider will assign a care team that follows clinical standards as set by MS Australia. The routine they craft will be in line with the symptom management and disease-modifying therapies that the person is undergoing to manage their condition.
The following are the main duties of an MS care team, according to MS Australia.
Support Network provides you with physical therapist who will help in exactly these ways and more. You or your loved one will never feel stranded, and with the right support, you will be able to work towards regaining your independence.
Tests and treatments are also very important. Whether it is optical coherence tomography, plasma exchange or any other type of therapy, they make sure everything happens as it should.
You or your loved one will also get an exercise buddy in our carers! Everyone who works out with a friend or a spotter knows how much easier it is.
The trick to keeping active with Multiple Sclerosis is to listen to your body and set realistic goals.
It will never be the time to lock in on building a “demon back” or a “50-inch chest” like your favourite fitness influencers. The goal is to remain active, so that you can fight off muscle weakness, extreme fatigue and other MS symptoms.
Make sure to come up with physical exercise routines together with your healthcare provider and care team, and listen to their advice. Sometimes, they could insist you stop for treatment (like plasma exchange) sake.
And remember to stay cool and hydrated, because MS and heated body temperature don't mix well!
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