Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation therapies can help people with multiple sclerosis function better at work, at home and in the community. Starting at the diagnosis, rehab specialists can provide education and strategies to promote wellness, improve overall conditioning and reduce fatigue. They can also evaluate and treat speech and swallowing difficulties, as well as thinking and memory issues.
MS Rehab Is a Multi-Disciplinary Team Effort
The Rehabilitation Team
- Physical therapists evaluate and address your body’s ability to move and function. In particular, they help with walking and mobility issues, strength, balance, posture, fatigue and pain. PT might include an exercise program, gait (walking) training, and/or training in the use of mobility aids (poles, canes, crutches, scooters and/or wheelchairs) and other assistive devices. PT promotes independence and safety and helps you achieve and maintain optimal functioning.In addition, rehabilitation can help prevent complications such as de-conditioning, muscle weakness from lack of mobility and muscle contractures related to spasticity. PT can also include pelvic floor exercises to address urinary/bladder issues.
- Occupational therapists will train you in energy conservation techniques and the use of adaptive tools and devices to simplify your everyday tasks. They recommend strategic modifications to your home or workplace to ensure accessibility, safety and convenience.Some therapists address driving and community mobility needs, including performing driving evaluations. Others evaluate and treat challenges with thinking and memory. The goal of OT is to enhance your independence, productivity and safety in all activities related to personal care, leisure activities and employment.
- The speech-language pathologist evaluates and treats difficulties with speech and/or swallowing. These issues can result from damage to the central nervous system that reduces muscle control. SLP therapy can make it easier for you to communicate clearly and promote safe swallowing and overall health. Some SLPs also evaluate and treat challenges with thinking and memory.
- State vocational rehabilitation programs offer job readiness training, job coaching, job placement assistance, mobility training and assistive technology assessments. They strive to help people maintain their current employment or find new employment that accommodates their needs.
- Neuropsychologists — as well as many OTs and SLPs — evaluate and treat changes in your ability to think, reason, concentrate and remember. While each of these professionals uses different evaluation and treatment strategies, they can all help you function optimally if you are experiencing cognitive changes.
- Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is a treatment that involves the use of mild electrical stimulation to a muscle or muscles to help them move. The treatment is administered by relatively small, battery-powered devices. FES devices work by sending low-level electrical impulses to damaged nerves. While these devices are effective for many people with MS, they may not be appropriate for everyone.
