Multiple Sclerosis

Also called: MS

Stacey Louisa Bock

Occupational Therapist
Namakwa District
I feel . . . by Jayne Adler, May 2000

MS is an unnerving disease
I feel like a jumble of loose, unattached parts
like a sackful of detached, separate and separating parts
a connect-the-dots portrait
I feel like I'm at the seashore with the sand disappearing from beneath
my feet
as the tide roll out.
I have tides within my body. They speak to me in Morse code, all dashes
and
dots, telling me what ?

tides rage within me

when I stand, swaying motion threatens to pull me over
pushing and pulling, the waves crash within me
The ebbing and flowing within
my personal tides
threaten my integrity
 ABOUT MS

 Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition of the central

nervous system.
 In MS, the coating around nerve fibres (called myelin) is
damaged, causing a range of symptoms.
 It's normally diagnosed in people between the ages of 20
and 40, and affects almost three times as many women as
men.
 Once diagnosed, MS stays with you for life, but treatments
and specialists can help you to manage the symptoms.
 We don't know the reason as to why certain people are
more susceptible in developing MS then others, and we
haven't yet found a cure, but research is progressing fast.
WHAT HAPPENS IN MS?

how the central nervous

system works
• MS is complex and can cause many
different symptoms.
• It is not uncommon for a diagnosis to take
several months…
or even longer.
 TYPES OF MS

Relapsing remitting MS is the most

common type of MS, affecting around 85
per cent of everyone diagnosed.
 TYPES OF MS

Secondary progressive MS is a stage

of MS which can come after relapsing
remitting MS.
 TYPES OF MS

Primary progressive MS affects about

10 to 15 per cent of people diagnosed with
MS. Symptoms gradually get worse over
time, rather than appearing as sudden
attacks (relapses).
 TYPES OF MS

BENIGN MS
• If you have a small number of relapses
followed by a complete recovery, you may
be described as having benign MS.

Benign MS can only be diagnosed

retrospectively.
 MS in CHILDREN

• MS in children is rare. Around five to ten

per cent of young people with MS will
experience MS symptoms before the age
of 16.
 MS SYMPTOMS

As the central nervous system links all bodily

activities, many different types of symptoms can
appear in MS.

The specific symptoms that appear depend upon

which part of your central nervous system is
affected and the job of the damaged nerve.
SIGNS & SYMPTOMS
 Physical symptoms of MS

Vision problems

Balance problems

Dizziness

Fatigue

Bladder problems

Stiffness / or spasms

Other symptoms might include problems with:

• Bowel
• Speech
• Swallowing
• Tremor
 MEMORY, THINKING &
EMOTIONS
• MS can affect memory and thinking, and
also have an impact on emotions. Like all
MS symptoms, you might experience this
in varying degrees, or not at all.
 SEXUAL PROBLEMS

MS can affect sexual function for both men

and women. There are ways to manage
these symptoms.
 CAUSES OF MS

No one knows the exact cause of MS, but it

is likely that a mixture of genetic and
environmental factors play a role.
 GENES AND FAMILY
HISTORY
• There is no single gene that causes it.
• It's likely that a combination of genes
make some people more susceptible to
developing MS.
• While MS can occur more than once in a
family, it is more likely this will not
happen.
 ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

• MS is more common in areas further away

from the equator.
Viruses
• …possible that something in the environment, perhaps
bacteria or a virus, plays a role.
• No single virus has been identified as definitely
contributing to MS, but there is growing evidence that a
common childhood virus, such as Epstein Barr virus
may act as a trigger.
 VITAMIN D

• There is also a growing amount of

research that suggests that a lack of
vitamin D could be a factor in causing MS.
• We get most of our vitamin D from
exposure to sunlight. Low levels of vitamin
D have been linked to higher numbers of
people developing many different
conditions, including MS.
 BUT WHAT CAUSES MS?

“Multiple sclerosis is a disease that affects

the brain and spinal cord, resulting in loss
of vision, balance and sensation.”

It is an autoimmune disease.
Define ‘autoimmune.’
“With MS, the nerves of the brain and spinal cord
are damaged by one’s own immune system.
Thus, the condition is called an autoimmune
disease. Autoimmune diseases are those
whereby the body’s immune system, which
normally targets and destroys substances
foreign to the body such as bacteria,
mistakenly attacks normal tissue.”
» WebMD
RESEARCH IN THE AREA OF
THE CELL STRUCTURE
• Essential nutrients:
– 26 vitamins
– 72 trace minerals
– Fatty acids
– Amino acids

ALOE VERA IN ITS NATURAL

HABITAT
GLYCONUTRIENTS
 MANAGEMENT OF MS

Disease modifying drugs

-reduce the frequency and severity of relapses
Diet, exercise and lifestyle
-actively manage health
Nutrition
-dietary supplements
 PHYSIOTHERAPY

A physiotherapist works with people with MS

to assess physical difficulties and help
improve movement and other functions
of the body. Exercise is one of the key
ways in which they do this.
TYPES OF EXERCISE
 BENEFITS OF EXERCISE
Improve overall health of people with milder MS

Help people with more severe MS to stay as mobile &

active as possible

?
Help some people manage MS symptoms and
decrease the risk of heart disease

Improve muscle strength and fitness, helping with

mobility or weakness problems

Help manage weight control, especially when

combined with a healthy, well-balanced diet
 OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
(OT) IN MS
Occupational therapy can help people with
multiple sclerosis stay active in daily life.
By improving…
skills, teaching alternative ways to complete
tasks, or introducing handy equipment
 HOW CAN OT HELP?
By providing recommendations in the following areas:
Arm and hand therapy
Handwriting aids
Home modification information
Driver evaluation and vehicle modification information
Cooking and homemaking adaptations
Eating and dinnerware adaptations
Computer modifications
Workplace or work equipment modifications
Leisure skill development
Manual or electric wheelchair use
Bathtub and toilet equipment use
Dressing and grooming aids
 SPEECH THERAPY
VARIOUS TECHNIQUES
Speech therapy is a type
of rehabilitation Oral
that exercises
focuses on improving
movement of the mouth area. Speech
Voice training
therapy may be part of a multiple sclerosis
treatment plan
Special if weak facial
communication muscles
devices
or lesions (damaged areas in the brain)
Diet modifications
have affected your ability to talk or
swallow.
Altered positions while eating
NUTRITION
THANK YOU!
Any
questions??
 REFERENCES

http://www.mssociety.org.uk/
http://www.webmd.com
www.mannatech.com
http://www.glyconutrientsreference.com/whoneedsglyconutrients
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az
http://curezone.com/forums/am.asp?i=4979
http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/showthread.php?t=61167
http://www.glyconutria.com/living-with-multiple-sclerosis-for-20-ye