As we
prepare to move into National Physical Therapy Month, it is a good time review
how physical therapy can help someone with MS. As many have experienced, the
symptoms of MS can affect your ability to move around. You may be experiencing
tightness, pain, and weakness, especially in the muscles and joints. This is
where physical therapy may help. An article in WebMD explains:
Physical
therapy cannot cure the primary symptoms of MS (such as weakness, tremors,
tingling, numbness, loss of balance, vision impairment, paralysis, and bladder
or bowel dysfunction), but therapy can enable you to compensate for the changes
brought about by MS. These “compensatory treatments,” as they’re
called, include learning about new movement techniques, strategies, and equipment.
Physical
therapy can also be very helpful at lessening secondary symptoms of MS. A
physical therapist can teach you exercises to strengthen and loosen muscles.
Many of these exercises can be performed at home. The goal of physical therapy
is to improve your independence and quality of life by improving movement and
function and relieving pain.
Physical
therapy can help with:
Balance
problems
Lack of coordination
Fatigue
Pain
Immobility
Weakness.
Many
hospitals offer outpatient physical therapy services. However, you may need to
get a doctor’s order to be seen in physical therapy. If you feel you can
benefit from physical therapy, ask your doctor for a referral.
Treatments
in physical therapy often can be completed in one to three office visits. The
first appointment includes an evaluation and recommendations for exercises. The
following appointments check your progress and review and expand your home
program.
Most
hospitals can provide additional sessions of outpatient physical therapy if a
physical therapist is needed to attain an expected improvement in function.
To learn
more about physical therapy, visit http://www.moveforwardpt.com/Default.aspx
source: The MSFYi newsletter
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