By Ed Lash
 |
University of Southern California scientists conducted a laboratory experiment in the early ’60s called “Operation Sacktime.” They kept healthy, young college men in bed for a period of two to three weeks after which it was found that the students had lost energy and strength, and their lungs, heart, and circulation became less efficient. Experiments have also shown that prolonged bed rest, or even chair rest, can transform a strong young person into a feeble one with weak muscles and the unsteady gait of an old man.
If inactivity can do this to robust young men in such a short time, you can imagine the challenge presented to some people with multiple sclerosis (MS) confined to a wheelchair or bed for longer periods of time. It may even be difficult to determine if weakness and fatigue is due to MS or inactivity.
Having MS is no reason not to have regular exercise, even weight-bearing exercise. In order to stay healthy, muscles and bones need exercise on a regular basis. This applies to all of us, whether we are in good health or not. The human body was made for physical activity and will deteriorate without it. Dr. Robert Buxbaum, who co-authored Maximizing Your Health for the National MS Society, says, “There is a tendency among some professionals and patients to say that, because of MS, a person shouldn’t be exercising, or doing much of anything. That’s clearly not true.”
Supervised physical therapy is a good place to start. For rehabilitation to be successful, doctor, therapist, and patient must strive toward returning that patient to his normal environment with a workable exercise program. A good physical therapist will give their patients exercises to do in between therapy sessions.
Most important in any exercise program is to start at a level you feel comfortable with, without strain or pain, gradually increasing in both quantity and frequency. It’s okay to be a little tired after a workout; it may even help improve endurance. Overdoing it, however, or a sudden large increase in exercise, may have a negative effect.
It is difficult to write an article on specific exercise regimens because of the wide range of conditions that people with MS experience. This is only a general article with general principles from varying sources, each sentence or phrase may not apply to you. I say this not to give you an excuse not to exercise if your circumstances do not permit some of the suggestions, but to encourage you to seek professional help to plan a program suited to you, and to use your creativity and sense of innovation to get moving.
In summary, I’ll quote from the MS Society’s booklet Maximizing Your Health: “All this really means is that, if you have MS and are embarking on a program of exercise, you should plan ahead carefully, get professional guidance in setting up your plan, but by all means pick a physical activity you can enjoy and do it!”
Note: Self-help is not intended to replace medical treatment, but should be used together with the help of all appropriate professionals in a team effort.
Ed Lash is a United Spinal member who lives in Trumbull, Connecticut. This essay is excerpted from his book, Multiple Sclerosis: Self-help . . . A Patient’s View (Vantage Press 2001). It is available for $16-$13.95 plus $2.05 for S&H- from www.msselfhelp.net, or by phone at 203-445-0118.
