Produced by O2 Media, Inc for the Balancing Act TV show
MS and Mobility
Since MS (multiple sclerosis) affects any part of the central nervous system (CNS), one of the symptoms that people with MS may develop is problems walking. There are many reasons that a person with MS may develop difficulty with mobility:
- Weakness - this can be caused from MS in the brain or spinal cord
- Sensory changes - numbness can make it hard for your brain to know precisely where your legs are in space
- Imbalance - MS in the cerebellum, the coordination center, can make it difficult to maneuver precisely
- Visual blurring - MS can affect the optic nerves and make it difficult to see
- Double vision - MS may affect eye movements and lead to double vision; if you can’t focus on things, then it may be hard to walk well
- Pain - it is very difficult to walk well if you are in pain
- Etc. ...
The first goal in correcting mobility issues in MS, is to figure out what the cause of the walking problem is. The way to figure this out, is to write down a list of your symptoms and any difficulties that you may have. Then you should review this list with your neurologist, who will ask further questions and perform a neurological examination.
The neurological exam has been refined over centuries in order to help your doctor localize the source of any abnormalities. First your neurologist will determine whether your walking difficulties are related to your nerves or whether there is another cause, such as an orthopedic injury. If the source of the walking problems is from the MS itself, your neurologist will help determine whether your mobility issues are a sign of a relapse, progression or the regular ups and downs of MS. The reason why this is important is because it may mean the difference of simply adding on another symptomatic medication, starting yoga or Tai Chi, starting methylprednisolone or adrenocorticotropic hormone to hasten recovery from a relapse or to change the MS disease modifying agent (interferon beta-1b, interferon beta-1a, glatiramer acetate, natalizumab, fingolimod or mitoxantrone).
Mobility is an important part of our daily lives and partnering with your neurologist to figure out the cause of problems with mobility, will better allow for a targeted treatment plan.