Physiotherapy in multiple sclerosis plays an important role, especially in the field of conservative therapy, which is of great importance in addition to drug therapy. Physiotherapy in MS always depends on the individual patient and the course of MS. The physiotherapist will develop a therapy concept that is tailored to the patient, which also includes active and passive components and focuses in particular on maintaining and improving the physical and psychological effects of multiple sclerosis.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy in MS is a very complex issue, as each treatment must be preceded by a very individual examination and assessment. The specific problems and limitations are so different from patient to patient that an adjustment and goal setting must be tailored to the individual patient. Of central importance is the treatment of symptoms such as coordination disorders, pain, spasticity, motor disorders and fatigue.
Social integration of the patient, acceptance of the disease and integration into a daily routine with MS are also important aspects of treatment. Furthermore, other accompanying symptoms are also taken into account in the therapy (e.g. visual disturbances, bladder weakness). The article “Physiotherapy in Multiple Sclerosis” might be of interest to you in this respect
Exercises
Since multiple sclerosis is such a complex disease, the exercises chosen for each patient are very different, so the training plans can be completely different. In the following some possible exercises are listed as examples. 1) Spasticity control Lean against a wall.
Your feet are about half a step from the wall. Now consciously increase the pressure on your heels and release your upper body and hips from the wall so that you can stand freely. 2) Pack position for spasticity control Lie on your back and pull your knees towards your chest.
Grasp your lower legs with your arms and stay in this position for some time. 3) Spasticity control and arm support Sit on a chair or table with your feet completely on the floor. The arms are supported laterally as supports.
Now increase the pressure on your right heel and then stretch your left leg straight forward. Hold for a few seconds, then lower again and change sides. 4) Memory Pick 5-10 objects that you remember well and then put them away.
Then solve some arithmetical problems and try to remember the objects you memorized before. 5) Movement exercise Sit on the floor and cross your arms in front of your body. Now shift your weight from one half of your buttocks to the other.
After a few times, change to a cross-legged position and consciously push your knees towards the floor, keeping your upper body straight and upright. Finally, in a comfortable sitting position, slowly circle your shoulders back and forth. 6) Stretching Stand up straight and upright.
The right arm hangs loosely down on the body while the left arm is stretched over the head to the right side and the upper body is slightly tilted to the right. Hold the stretch for 20 seconds, then change sides. More exercises can be found under: Exercises for Multiple SclerosisThe following is an example of some of the measures described: 1) Exercises Since the muscle strength of the patient sometimes decreases considerably due to MS, it is important to maintain and train this strength or, if necessary, to compensate it with other muscle groups.
This is an important part of the therapy, especially with regard to spasticity control. Individually adapted exercises, which are performed either passively by the therapist or actively by the patient with or without aids, help to achieve the set goals. Cognitive exercises to improve memory and concentration are also part of the therapy in MS. 2) Manual Therapy Various grip techniques of manual therapy, as well as targeted massages to loosen cramped muscles, can provide relief from pain and movement restrictions.
3) Balance training This depends on the cause of the complaints, whereby in the course of the therapy it is tried to eliminate them. 4) Individual movement training Here the patient learns to move independently in everyday life without feeling strongly restricted by the disease. The physiotherapist will set up a series of exercises especially for the patient, which can solve problems in different everyday situations and can be easily performed on the spot.These can be, for example, weight shifts to stand more securely or exercises to get up alone in the morning.
All in all, it is important in physiotherapeutic treatment to respond to the needs of the patient. The social aspect also plays an important role in the treatment, as patients learn to live better with their illness through physiotherapy and do not have to fear losing control in public. The demands on physiotherapy in MS are high, as it is often necessary to adapt to new situations and the therapy plan must be changed flexibly.
All articles in this series:
