Multiple sclerosis is a neurological disease, which means a chronic inflammation of the central nervous system. It is also called the disease of “many faces”, because the symptoms and course of the disease cannot be more different. In multiple sclerosis, inflammation occurs in the medullary sheaths of the nerve fibers of the central nervous system, which disrupts the transmission of stimuli, which is necessary for all activities in the organism.
It leads to skin sensations, gait disorders, muscle changes, visual disorders, coordination difficulties and other symptoms. What the course of the disease is like cannot be determined exactly and can be delayed as long as possible with appropriate medication and therapy. If you would like to know more about the signs of multiple sclerosis, we recommend our page on: Symptoms of multiple sclerosis
Exercises
Exercises in multiple sclerosis are varied and depend on the symptoms of the disease. Possible symptoms that are relevant for physiotherapy are gait disorders, increased muscle tone, paralysis of the muscles, coordination difficulties, balance disorders. (For exercises on gait disorders see section Gait Disorders).
Theraband or dumbbells can be used to increase the exercise. A four-footed stand on an Airex mat or spinning top improves the sense of balance. In the one-legged stand, the free leg acts as a tentacle leg and can be moved backwards into a standing scale.
In contrast, the arms carry out the rowing movement or lat pull movement. It is important that the upper and lower extremities work simultaneously but in opposite directions so that both halves of the brain are equally stressed. To intensify the exercise, these can be performed on uneven ground or in a one-legged position.
To improve balance, all exercises can be done on uneven surfaces or with different step types. Running on the Airex mat, spinning top, wobble cushion or large mat promotes balance and can be strengthened by running faster and stopping suddenly. Exercises in a 1-legged position with or without uneven ground must be worked out carefully but promotes balance enormously.
When standing on one leg or standing firmly on the uneven ground, you can improve your stability by playing ball games, possibly even badminton. In general, strength training is very important in multiple sclerosis. As the nerve conduction gets worse, the strength also decreases.
To counteract this, appropriate strength training should be done from the beginning. Especially the legs are important. Leg press, knee bends, lunges, abductors and adductors are classic exercises for this.
In order to maintain the back muscles and trunk stability, the muscles should be trained with stability exercises such as forearm support, side support, hand support, lat pull, rowing machine, cross lifting and all other exercises. In addition to the classical therapy methods and exercises in the therapies, sports such as yoga, aerobics, Zumba and general dancing are also recommended. Thereby endurance and above all coordination and mobility are improved.
Walking with sticks also promotes coordination and also helps to improve gait disorders. More information on this topic can be found in the following articles:
- To change muscle tone, hands-on methods are usually used to reduce or stimulate the tone.
- Juggling with balls or cloths is also suitable for improving coordination.
- In case of coordination difficulties, exercises are used that make the arms and legs work against each other. The four-footed stand is suitable for this purpose, in which the arm and leg are stretched out in the opposite direction.
- Physiotherapy for MS
- Physiotherapy for MS
- Exercises with the Theraband
- Autogenic Training
