Media
Oliver The Brainy Owl
September 26, 2022
Overview
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease that affects the central nervous system, especially the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. This can lead to a wide range of symptoms throughout the body.
All the consequences of Multiple Sclerosis or MS as its popularly known are not purely neurological and physical.
Multi-modal
Assessment
Signs
MS affects individuals differently. For some, it starts with a subtle sensation, and their symptoms do not progress for months or years. Sometimes, symptoms worsen rapidly, within weeks or months.
- People may develop weak muscles due to lack of use or stimulation due to nerve damage.
- A pins and needles-type sensation is one of the earliest symptoms of MS that can affect the face, body, or arms and legs.
- A person may experience a sensation like an electric shock when they move their neck, known as Lhermitte’s sign.
- A person may have difficulty emptying their bladder or need to urinate frequently or suddenly (urge incontinence). Loss of bladder control is an early sign of MS.
- Constipation can cause fecal impaction, which can lead to bowel incontinence.
- Fatigue: This can undermine a person’s ability to function at work or at home. Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of MS.
- Dizziness and vertigo: These are common problems, along with balance and coordination issues.
- Sexual dysfunction: Both males and females may lose interest in sex.
- Spasticity and muscle spasms: This is an early sign of MS. Damaged nerve fibers in the spinal cord and brain can cause painful muscle spasms, particularly in the legs.
- Tremor: Some people with MS may experience involuntary quivering movements.
- Vision problems: Some people may experience double or blurred vision, a partial or total loss of vision, or red-green color distortion. This usually affects one eye at a time. Inflammation of the optic nerve can result in pain when the eye moves. Vision problems are an early sign of MS.
- Gait and mobility changes: MS can change the way people walk, because of muscle weakness and problems with balance, dizziness, and fatigue.
- Emotional changes and depression: Demyelination and nerve-fiber damage in the brain can trigger emotional changes.
- Learning and memory problems: These can make it difficult to concentrate, plan, learn, prioritize, and multitask.
- Pain: Pain is a common symptom in MS. Neuropathic pain is directly due to MS. Other types of pain occur because of weakness or stiffness of muscles.
Multi-modal
Diagnosis
Diagnosis
While the diagnosis is clinical, brain imaging, electrophysiology, blood tests to rule out reversible causes or indeed contributing factors and a thorough pre-rehabilitation assessment including evaluation for co-morbidities (associated conditions) will be required in all instances. At Buddhi Clinic our assessment includes standard outcome indicators for activities of daily life, quality of life, neuro-disability and mental health.
Treatment
Patients with MS suffer the gamut of neuropsychiatric problems: memory and cognitive decline, mood swings, intermittent explosive behaviors and such like. At Buddhi Clinic we assess patients with MS & other forms of neuroinflammation in depth and customize our integrative therapy program for their needs.
Appointments
at Buddhi Clinic
We'll ask for some basic information to assess your care needs.
Appointments
at Buddhi Clinic
We'll ask for some basic information to assess your care needs.
