Multiple Sclerosis
The multiple sclerosis care team at Fairview Rehab & Nursing Home in Queens, NY, provides a top quality service. If your loved one is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis they will need care, support, and a plan of action.
Our experienced professional team knows what to do. Rest assured that your loved one will be in good hands.
Care, therapy and medication are always tailored to a person’s specific needs and consider their medical history. After a comprehensive evaluation, we discuss treatment options as determined by a doctor. These will focus on improving your independence and quality of life.
The main goal of therapies for multiple sclerosis patients is to maintain and improve function.
Throughout treatment we also focus on making you feel at home and just like one of the family. Our multilingual staff here are always friendly and welcoming. We like to talk to family or friends as we believe they are part of any successful therapy package.
Our occupational therapists and speech and language pathologists will evaluate a patient’s ability to think and remember. They help multiple sclerosis patients to restore functional activity lost due to possible damage to the central nervous system. We ensure that speech and swallowing problems improve.
Our physical therapists ensure all exercises are performed safely and are tailored to patients’ needs. We have state-of-the-art equipment and our therapy philosophy is “one step at a time”.
The rehab therapists can give advice on mobility aids such as walking sticks or wheel chairs. They can also suggest improvements in the home to ease mobility, such as stair-lifts, or the removal of trip hazards.
Fairview’s Outpatient Rehab service caters for multiple sclerosis patients who require treatment at home.
Multiple sclerosis – the disease
Multiple sclerosis treatment has been developing in recent years thanks to clinical trials, and medical advances. However, since there is no cure for the disease, treatment focuses on alleviating symptoms, and reducing the frequency of relapses.
Multiple sclerosis is a potentially disabling disease often associated with fatigue, muscle and joint pain, and mobility problems. It affects the central nervous system, causing communication problems between your brain and other parts of your body. It’s an immune disorder in which a protective sheath (myelin) around nerves, becomes inflamed and degraded.
Some people have very mild symptoms, while others have severe symptoms. It’s a chronic disease and you never know when you might suffer a relapse. Owing to the large number of different manifestations of the disease, patients may need to see a variety of specialists.
Multiple sclerosis care will always vary depending on a person’s medical history and symptoms. This may include treating relapses, or treating individual symptoms.
Treatment for relapses
A medical professional will always need to diagnose the correct causes of a relapse before deciding on a treatment. An infection can be the cause of some relapses. This might require a specific treatment.
Treatment options for specific symptoms
Many of the symptoms of multiple sclerosis can be treated. Apart from medicines, there are numerous holistic therapies that can help combat fatigue, including:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Healthy sleep patterns
- Regular exercise
It may also be better to avoid some painkillers as they can worsen fatigue.
Physical therapy
Physical therapy can be useful in treating muscle spasms. Physical therapists can advise on better seating positions, and how to avoid pain. If your mobility is poor, stretching exercise can help. Your doctor or physiotherapist will advise you on the correct techniques to avoid injury. Other multiple sclerosis treatment options include muscle-relaxing techniques, such as massage.
Physical therapy can also help people with muscle weakness or problems with balance or dizziness. A carefully supervised exercise program can help tremendously.
Sometimes patients are able to benefit from a device that stimulates your nerves, called a trans-cutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) machine.
Other multiples sclerosis therapies
One symptom of the disease is neuropathic pain – a sharp and stabbing pain, also associated with extreme skin sensitivity. Not only drugs, but also vitamins and supplements can help with pain.
Our rehabilitation therapists may be able to suggest ways of managing problems with thinking or memory. They can also help if you experience emotional extremes such as sudden fits of laughter or crying. Cognitive behavioral therapies have a role to play in people with such conditions.
Our speech therapists can help those with swallowing or speaking difficulties. They can suggest exercises to strengthen relevant muscles.
Fairview’s professional staff and specialists offer many of these treatments, and others besides. We are used to providing multiple sclerosis services in a caring environment. Contact us for further information.
