When did you last see a physio?

Physiotherapy's value in multiple sclerosis is widely recognised. It is seen as especially helpful in promoting activity and exercise for people with MS to help you resume, or maintain, an active and independent life. It can be valuable for many MS symptoms and is particularly useful for managing stiffness, balance, spasticity and muscle spasms. Physiotherapy involves a holistic approach, which considers the body as a whole, rather than just focusing on the illness or injury. Physiotherapists can use several approaches during treatment, these include:

·      providing tailored exercises to strengthen specific areas of the body

·      education and advice - for example on posture, the correct way to lift and carry things, and on appropriate levels of physical activity to improve your general health or mobility

·      manual therapy such as massage, or manipulation of specific areas of the body, to relieve pain or stiffness.

·      electrotherapy - including ultrasound and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS).  

If you haven’t seen a physiotherapist recently why not book a session to see Guy or Katie. Your session will include a discussion about any goals you may have and the potential benefits of other activities on offer that may help you achieve them. The physiotherapist may suggest using the gym, having sessions in the hydrotherapy pool, joining a seated or mat Pilates class or taking part in Tai Chi.

Physiotherapy sessions are available Monday to Thursday and now on some Saturdays 10am to 1pm.

To book please call 01234 325781 or email reception@mscentrebedsandnorthants.com.

Aerobic exercise promising for restoring function in individuals with MS

Researchers have found that people with measurable MS progression who are aerobically fit see benefits in walking and cognition. The researchers used brain atrophy, specifically Thalamic Atrophy (TA), as a measure of MS progression. Following an MRI scan to measure TA, participants took part in tests to assess their abilities in walking and cognition. Results showed that for participants with TA, an indicator of MS progression, aerobic fitness positively correlated to better cognition and walking.

The lead author of the study, Dr Brian Sandroff went on to say that "This study suggests that aerobic exercise training has the potential to restore function in individuals with thalamic atrophy, who are clearly at risk for progressive physical and cognitive decline".

This research suggests that regular exercise that gets your heart pumping can help to slow progression in MS and maybe even help restore some function.  If the mere thought or exercise is daunting you can relax a little as you don’t need to be running a marathon or cycling 50k. Any vigorous activity that can be sustained for even a short period, just enough to get your heart rate elevated, will be beneficial. We all just need to find something that works for us and then do it regularly, preferable several times a week.

If you’d like to do some exercise at the Centre the gym is open Mon-Thu and now on Saturdays. Or if you would just like some ideas about what you maybe able to do at home, we are happy to talk about it the next time you are in.

More information: Brian M. Sandroff et al, Thalamic atrophy moderates associations among aerobic fitness, cognitive processing speed, and walking endurance in persons with multiple sclerosis, Journal of Neurology (2022). DOI: 10.1007/s00415-022-11205-9

Photo: Dr. Sandroff is a senior research scientist in the Center for Neuropsychology and Neuroscience Research and director of the Exercise Neurorehabilitation Research Laboratory at Kessler Foundation. Here, he monitors a participant in an MS treadmill training study. Credit: Kessler Foundation/ Jody Banks