Exercise for Multiple Sclerosis | Renal Disease & Dialysis

Dec 25, 2012| Posted in kidney Disease, Kidney Failure, Kidney Symptoms

The French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot was the first person to recognize multiple sclerosis as a distinct disease in 1868. Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons in nerves of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination (damage to the myelin sheath) and scarring which leads to a broad variety of other signs and symptoms.

Communication between nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord to is affected in people with MS. Nerve cells communicate by sending electrical signals called action potentials down long fibers called axons, which are contained within a protective, insulating substance called myelin. In MS, the body?s own immune system recognises myelin as a threat then attacks and damages it. When myelin is lost, the axons can no longer effectively conduct signals properly. This is what causes the symptoms of MS.

Multiple sclerosis can be difficult to diagnose because its signs and symptoms are similar to other medical problems. Medical organisations have created diagnostic criteria to ease and standardise the diagnostic process. These criteria are especially effective within the first stages of the disease. The Schumacher and Poser criteria were both popular but now the McDonald criteria is more commonly used.

Clinical data alone may be sufficient for a diagnosis of MS if an individual has suffered separate episodes of neurologic symptoms characteristic of MS like changes in sensation such as loss of sensitivity or tingling, prickling or numbness. The most commonly used diagnostic tools are neuroimaging and analysis of cerebrospinal fluid. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and spine also show areas of demyelination and the nervous system of a person with MS responds less actively to stimulation of the optic nerve and sensory nerves due to demyelination of such pathways. These brain responses can be examined using visual and sensory evoked potentials.

Although MS isn?t considered hereditary a number of genetic variations have been shown to increase the risk of developing the disease. The chances of inheriting MS is higher in relatives of a person with the disease than in the general population, especially in the case of siblings, parents, and children.

As well as the obvious benefits of exercise, the benefits to healthy individuals, the benefits of exercise for people with MS include:

• Improves muscle strength and tone to help maintain mobility and reduce muscle weakness
• Helps to keep people with more severe MS stay mobile
• Helps with weight management
• Can help with some symptoms of MS

There is no single exercise that ?cures? MS. Exercise is best thought of as merely a supplement or a preventative measure that aids your current therapy. Choosing what type of exercise you do depends on YOU! What do you enjoy doing? What sports do you like? Do you prefer to train with someone or go solo? Do you need help or instructions to start an exercise program? All these questions can help in choosing the right form of exercise for you and ensure your exercise programme is adhered to. Here?s a few ideas to get you going:

• Walking and aerobics have been shown to improve balance
• Yoga, T?ai Chi and stretching helps with muscle stiffness and spasms
• Pelvic floor exercises help with bladder and bowel problems
• Aerobic exercise has been shown to help improve the symptoms of depression

The Health Fitness Project is a free database for health professionals and fitness enthusiasts, continually growing and full of scientifically based fitness advice put in to words that EVERYONE can understand.

Tags: electrical signals, jean martin charcot, medical organisations, nerve cells, sensory nerves

Source: http://www.bepicolomboprize.org/exercise-for-multiple-sclerosis.html

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