Certain factors can trigger patients’ MS flares. In other words, they can provoke or worsen the patient’s symptoms. The factors that are responsible for triggering multiple sclerosis flares include emotional stress, malnutrition, heat and activities that elevate the body’s temperature excessively. Knowing what these factors are and trying to minimize their effects can help patients make their MS flares few and far between.
It is safe to say that most of the factors that trigger multiple sclerosis flares would negatively impact any person’s health. However, there is one exception, and that is exercise. Under normal circumstances, exercise is a good thing. It helps keep the body active and healthy. However, it also happens to result in the elevation of the body temperature. This is not ideal for MS patients because such circumstances result in their MS symptoms flaring up.
How patients can exercise without triggering MS flares
Does this mean that MS patients should not engage in exercise? It does not. Everybody needs to engage in some form of exercise. MS patients in particular benefit greatly from exercise because, when done right, it helps to optimize their overall health. This, in turn, makes their bodies stronger at fighting MS-related complications and infections. However, in order to benefit from exercise, MS patients have to make sure that they learn how to prevent the overheating of their bodies. This kind of information is not intuitive. Thus, they should speak to their doctors in order to identify the best exercises for multiple sclerosis patients and the circumstances under which those exercises are ideal.
Doctors advise their MS patients to engage in exercises that they enjoy, and that do not put unnecessary strain on their bodies. They recommend that the patients exercise in safe settings, where it is unlikely for them to trip or to slip and fall. Warming up sessions are recommended before they begin the exercise. So are cooling down sessions once the exercise is over. Patients are also advised to schedule their exercises during the cooler hours of the day, to keep themselves well-hydrated by drinking cool water, and to exercise at a comfortable pace.
Because elevated temperatures have been known to trigger flares, multiple sclerosis patients should keep an eye out for any discomfort, pain or other MS symptoms when they are exercising. At the first sign of such symptoms, they should stop the exercise until they are feeling cooler. Taking these precautions will help ensure that they derive the maximum benefits from exercise without triggering the worst of their MS symptoms.
