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Muscular Sclerosis: Symptoms and Treatment

Muscular Sclerosis: Symptoms and Treatment

Muscular sclerosis is a progressive neurological disease which affects the functioning of your brain and your spinal cord. It occurs due to the destruction of fatty tissues that cover the nerve fibers in your brain and your spinal cord by your immune system. Symptoms of muscular sclerosis usually occur between the age group of 15-60 and women are more prone to it than men. 
Muscular sclerosis feels like an obstruction to a normal lifestyle and can make performing regular tasks difficult for patients. However, with proper physiotherapy for muscular sclerosis, the symptoms can be made manageable. 
Here’s a closer look at the symptoms and treatment of muscular sclerosis:

Symptoms:
Hampered Vision
When you experience changes in your eyesight, the common reasons for it can be something as simple as staring at the computer screen for too long time or aging. However, muscular sclerosis can also weaken your eyesight as it inflames the optic nerve and blurs your vision.

Fatigue
A little fatigue now and then can be due to bodily exertion. However, if the episodes of fatigue last for weeks together along with sudden muscular weakness, it could be a sign of muscular sclerosis. The muscular weakness generally starts in the legs and advances through your body.

Forgetfulness
As muscular sclerosis directly affects your nervous system, you cognitive memory can also be compromised. This will result in forgetfulness and shortened attention spans.

Muscular pain and spasms
One of the most common symptoms of muscular sclerosis is the persistent leg pain and the muscles spasms. A majority of people suffering from the same experience sharp pain in their legs at the initial stage. 

Loss of Bladder Control
Loss of bladder control is a common symptom of many health problems. So if you are experiencing it, make sure you get yourself checked as soon as possible. The urge to urinate frequently and the inability to hold urination is also a sign of muscular sclerosis.

Treatment: 
Physical Therapy when Diagnosed

The first step to take when you are diagnosed with muscular sclerosis is to consult a physiotherapist and get a baseline evaluation done. With the help of this evaluation, the physiotherapist can understand your current movement abilities. This evaluation is recorded and kept for future reference. The therapist will then assign you physical exercises to ease the muscular spasms.

Physical Therapy during a Relapse
A relapse or an exacerbation is a stage in which the symptoms of muscular sclerosis are at its peak. The occurrence of the symptoms becomes more frequent. During this stage, going through daily life activities can become a difficult task for the patient. A physiotherapist will conduct a test to examine your current symptoms and compare them with the results of the baseline test. Post examination, physical therapy will be started to help you regain the strength in your muscles.

Physical Therapy for Progressive Muscular Sclerosis
In progressive muscular sclerosis, there is a sudden decline in mobility and muscle strength. This stage calls for the immediate attention of a physiotherapist. In this stage, a physiotherapist will teach you techniques needed to cope with the changes that you are experiencing and also make you familiar with mobility devices such as a wheelchair.
Physical Therapy for Advanced Muscular Sclerosis
In this stage, the patient can no longer walk without the assistance of a person or a mobility device. The risk of developing epilepsy or osteoporosis is high at this stage. With physical therapy, the patient can learn to develop upper body strength and the technique to use mobility devices.

While it might not be a curable disease, physiotherapy for muscular sclerosis makes it manageable for you to carry on with your daily life. If you are facing similar problems, book an appointment with our experts at InHome Physical Therapy & Massage today.