Treatment and Rehabilitation Activities for People with MS

What are some of the treatment options for multiple sclerosis (MS)?
Currently, there is no cure for MS, but there are treatments for the conditions associated with MS. These may include:

• medication
• clinical trials
• assistive technology
• rehabilitation activities

Rehabilitation activities for people with MS:
Most people with multiple sclerosis eventually become involved with the rehabilitation process, the goals of which are to restore functions that are essential to Activities of Daily Living (ADL).

While different rehabilitation therapies may focus on only one specific function, most comprehensive rehabilitation programs provide assistance, instruction, or advice for nearly all of a patient's needs. Rehabilitation programs may be managed in an inpatient or an outpatient setting, or in the individual's home.

Therapies offered by a rehabilitation team include...

Physical therapy for persons with MS:
Physical therapy (PT) often helps restore useful movement or function to weakened or incoordinated muscles. Examples include:

• stretching and range of motion exercises
• training in walking
• appropriate use of assistive devices (canes, braces, walkers, etc.)
• transfer training (for example, moving from a wheelchair into a automobile)
• training in how to fall
• exercises to develop upper arm muscles

PT also helps patients prevent complications such as frozen joints, contractures, or bedsores.

PT is usually prescribed and designed by a neurologist or physiatrist to meet the individual needs of a patient. The prescription is then managed by a physical therapist. Most PT programs last a few months, after which the patient or a family member is taught a home-therapy program.

Occupational therapy for persons with MS:
Occupational therapy (OT) focuses on ADL that primarily involve the arms and hands. These activities often include:

• grooming
• dressing
• eating
• handwriting
• driving

The occupational therapist can prescribe exercises designed to develop fine coordination, or compensate for tremor or weakness. Occupational therapists may also evaluate wheelchairs, cushions, or a patient's environment to design the most efficient and safe surroundings in which they can function, and may suggest assistive devices, such as specially-designed button hooks or can grabbers.

Speech therapy for persons with MS:
Speech therapy helps improve communication skills for patients who have difficulty speaking because of weakness or incoordination of face and tongue muscles. This is generally accomplished by the use of exercises and assistive devices. Speech therapists may also evaluate swallowing disorders.

Bowel and bladder dysfunction among persons with MS:
Management of incontinence -- loss of control of urination or defecation -- is an important part of rehabilitation. Most individuals with these problems, or their family members, can be educated in the use of techniques and/or devices (such as intermittent catheterization) that help to prevent or manage incontinence.

Cognitive retraining for persons with MS:
Another area of rehabilitation concerns cognitive function programs designed to improve memory or learning in patients who have experienced deficits in these areas.