Multiple Sclerosis Rehab: Everything You Need To Know
Multiple sclerosis is a progressive, chronic, inflammatory disease of the central nervous system often affecting young adults aged 20-50. Multiple sclerosis rehab is designed to help sufferers achieve optimal function and quality of life. Initial symptoms may be tingling in the face, hands and feet, and impaired vision.
Although Multiple Sclerosis is degenerative and progressive, rehab therapies and techniques to cope with it have received greater attention in recent years. This is because multiple sclerosis rehabilitation has been shown to substantially improve patients’ independence and quality of life.
Let’s take a look at how rehab can help sufferers cope with the symptoms of this debilitating disease.
What Is The Goal Of Multiple Sclerosis Rehab?
After diagnosis, the aim of rehab is to reduce fatigue, and help you feel and function at your best. Education, as well as pain relief, are important aspects of rehab which aims to help patients manage their symptoms.
As the disease progresses, patients can have difficulty dressing, eating, going to the bathroom, or moving around. Multiple sclerosis rehab can help patients learn various techniques to get round, or cope with, some of these difficulties.
Speech and swallowing problems can be addressed with speech therapy; games can help improve thinking, memory loss, and mental dexterity. The ultimate goal is to achieve the best outcomes for the patient, using a range of different techniques and approaches.
Multiple sclerosis rehab involves professionals who specialize in occupational therapy, cognitive retraining and, of course, physical therapy.
Does physical therapy help?
Perhaps the most important element of multiple sclerosis rehab is physical therapy, and the emotional support that accompanies it. Light aerobic exercises can improve circulation, brain function, and reduce muscle stiffness, as well as plaque in the arteries. Weight-bearing exercises, on the other hand, can build muscle and bone strength, and help improve mobility.
Supervised physical therapy and exercises, as well as techniques like yoga or Pilates, can also help improve a patient’s balance and coordination. Research shows that physical exercise, if done safely and supervised by a specialist, helps patients feel better in themselves. It can give them a sense self-esteem and achievement. However, it is important to follow the advice of multiple sclerosis rehab therapists and not to overdo things.
Can you recover from multiple sclerosis with the right rehab?
Multiple sclerosis is a strange disease in that in the initial stages you tend to make a series of seeming recoveries. However, these are often followed by increasingly frequent and severe relapses. Therapists know how to adjust treatments and rehab to the different stages of the disease. Individual and family preferences also need to be addressed sensitively, in a compassionate and caring way.
Fairview Rehab and Nursing Home in Queens NY is specialized in rehabilitation therapies for patients with multiple sclerosis. Both outpatient and inpatient rehab therapy programs can help you with the symptoms of these disease. Do contact us if you would like to know more about Fairview Rehab’s restorative therapy programs in Queens NY.
This article contains informational and educational materials and does not replace health or medical advice. For questions or concerns regarding your medical condition or health objectives, speak to a qualified physician or healthcare provider.
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