When you have MS and you exercise, it can improve your fitness, endurance, and strength in your arms and legs. Studies have shown that this can also give you better control over your bowel and bladder function, and decreased overall fatigue. And it can give your mood a boost.
Though regular aerobic exercise can increase strength and balance, improve bowel and bladder control, and decrease spasticity related to MS, it can backfire if you don't take a gentle approach — and very vigorous exercise isn't necessary for better health.
Contents. You may have to adapt your daily life if you're diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), but with the right care and support many people can lead long, active and healthy lives.
You'll Build Muscle Strength and Function
Resistance training (with bodyweight, free weights, or machines) and swimming are effective ways to build and maintain strength in exercisers with MS, says Ashley Davis, C.P.T., a trainer with Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital in Wheaton, IL.
Many people with MS may live for 25 to 35 years or longer after their diagnosis. Survival is improving in MS patients, but chronic medical conditions such as heart disease, lung disease, depression, or diabetes may lower life expectancy in MS.
A person with benign MS will have few symptoms or loss of ability after having MS for about 15 years, while most people with MS would be expected to have some degree of disability after that amount of time, particularly if their MS went untreated.
Average life span of 25 to 35 years after the diagnosis of MS is made are often stated. Some of the most common causes of death in MS patients are secondary complications resulting from immobility, chronic urinary tract infections, compromised swallowing and breathing.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) triggers that worsen symptoms or cause a relapse can include stress, heart disease and smoking. While some are easier to avoid than others, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and overall health and wellness can have outsized benefits for MS patients.
Many MS patients avoid exercise, thinking it will aggravate pain or make their fatigue worse. But research has shown that the opposite is true—exercise can actually improve symptoms, according to Diana Duda, PT, DPT, MSCS.
The Overcoming MS diet
The OMS diet recommendations are similar to the Swank diet. It advises cutting out dairy and meat, and eating less fat – particularly saturated fat. It also recommends flaxseed oil as an omega 3 supplement and vitamin D supplements if you don't get out in the sun much.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) causes damage to nerve fibers in the central nervous system. Over time, it can lead to vision problems, muscle weakness, loss of balance or numbness. Several drug therapies can limit nerve damage and slow the disease's progression.
your genes – MS isn't directly inherited, but people who are related to someone with the condition are more likely to develop it; the chance of a sibling or child of someone with MS also developing it is estimated to be around 2 to 3 in 100.
Contents. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition that can affect the brain and spinal cord, causing a wide range of potential symptoms, including problems with vision, arm or leg movement, sensation or balance. It's a lifelong condition that can sometimes cause serious disability, although it can occasionally be mild.
Can I have multiple sclerosis for years and not know it? Yes. MS can go undetected for years. Research has suggested that many patients experience MS-related symptoms and signs several years before receiving a definite diagnosis of the disease.
Many people living with multiple sclerosis experience aspects of normal aging years, or even decades, ahead of schedule. MS is known for affecting the body, but it also affects the mind.
MS can appear at any age but most commonly manifests between the ages of 20 and 40. It affects women two to three times as often as men. Almost one million people in the United States have MS, making it one of the most common causes of neurological disability among young adults in North America.
Lifetime risk of MS by relationship to someone with MS:
Parent - 1 in 67. Child - 1 in 48. Relatives that were less closely related had a lower risk. The lifetime risk in the general population is about 1 in 330.
The prevalence of MS in Australia has increased from 103.7 per 100,000 people in 2017 to 131.1 per 100,000 people in 2021. This increase in prevalence is most likely due to changes in exposure to known MS risk factors.
You may have heard that drinking coffee can prevent multiple sclerosis. That's not exactly true. You can't count on your morning latte to prevent MS. Drinking a lot of coffee may improve your odds, though.
For people with multiple sclerosis, it's particularly important. Staying hydrated helps control bladder and bowel symptoms, and may help decrease injection site reactions and medication side effects. Dehydration can contribute to fatigue and cognitive impairment. Clearly, good hydration matters.