Let’s face it, there is no cure for MS so, the only alternative is to find out how to go about living well with MS. There is a certain truth to the old adage “keep your friends close and your enemies closer”. This is certainly true when living well with MS. Multiple sclerosis is most definitely the enemy but, we must get to know MS intimately. According to the National MS Society, there are 6 areas of life we need to focus on if we wish to live well with MS. Living with MS
To fully enjoy your physical wellness, you need to do more than disease and symptom management. Research has shown that a healthy diet and exercise will boost your energy. While the ongoing preventive care and management of other medical conditions will contribute to your overall wellness. The management of MS is a critical component of optimal health & wellness. Your MS management could include:
Diet and Nutrition While there no recognised special diet for MS in the eyes of the National MS Society, there are a number of successful MS diets out there.
Maintenance of general good health is very important for people with any chronic disorder: a well-balanced and planned diet will help in achieving this goal. Exercise In addition to being essential to general health and well-being, exercise and physical activity are helpful in managing many MS symptoms. Studies of aerobic exercise programs for people living with MS show some of the benefits to be improvements in:
An exercise program should fit your interests and abilities. I joined a sedentary exercise class at our local civic centre. This designed as a gentle exercise program for the elderly or from those recuperating from an accident or illness. Beating the Heat Activities including sunbathing, exercise, and taking very hot showers or baths can increase your core body temperature. This could worsen any MS symptoms. Ease the effects of heat:
It is worth pointing out that while many MSers are uncomfortable in elevated temperature, many also feel equally debilitated in the cold. Broaden your Mind Portchester Castle has an important place in history and it could have an important place in your mental wellness programme. Enjoying the arts and architecture of historic houses can improve your emotional wellbeing. Sleep, good sleep can give a huge boost to your physical fitness. Even when the sleepyhead has their sleep disturbed by a myoclonic jerk. These are just a few of the simple changes you can make when living well with MS.
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The electric human in the Kitchen is a nonsense blog title Last night was just another night of broken sleep. There are so many MS symptoms and they change day by day. The advantage is that there is never a dull moment. Mind you, poor sleep does nothing to minimise the chronic fatigue of multiple sclerosis. But, having an autoimmune disease is not something for which you can attribute blame to anybody or anything. One of the things about having MS is the propensity for clumsiness. But, of course, that is another potential MS symptom that I could add to my list. However, that reminds me of a couple of incidents. Some time ago, I was assessed for PIP. The personal independence payment has replaced the disability living allowance. I had been advised to list all of my limitations, even if some restrictions were only apparent on rare occasions. So, I duly explained that I had serious worries in the kitchen. Lifting hot pans was a hazard because of my muscle weakness and unpredictable tremors. Also, wielding a kitchen knife is positively dangerous. A bit of a shame when I have a nice new kitchen knife set. I provide this unremarkable story because my clumsiness resulted in a cut finger caused by shaky hands that were supposed to be slicing tomatoes. Kitchen Hazards I should blame my kitchen mishaps on my lack of sleep but, it is much more likely that my inattention is a result of the cognitive impairment of MS brain fog. I am sitting, with my laptop on my knee, trying to stop my legs from shaking. My legs are on fire with electric tingling. No, I am not the electric human but, perhaps if I was an android these MS symptoms wouldn’t be such a problem. I know that I make it sound like I exist in a living hell. However, I think an artistic licence might be the reason for my occasional exaggerations. Finally, just to keep things nice and tidy, I thought that I should look up any possible reference to clumsiness in Multiple Sclerosis. And guess what? I found it! Clumsiness really is a recognised symptom of MS. Take a look at this list of MS symptoms for corroboration https://www.webmd.com/multiple-sclerosis/multiple-sclerosis-symptoms
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AuthorStephen Walker has had MS since 1994. In that time, he has discovered how to live a fulfilling life with multiple sclerosis Archives
February 2022
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