Since most people are diagnosed with this debilitating disease at the prime of their life, Multiple Sclerosis rehabilitation is the way to keep yourself productive and feeling normal. The primary goal of MS rehabilitation is to maintain and even improve all your functions. This is important because diagnosis is usually made anywhere from the age of 20 to 50 years old. Some are diagnosed in childhood and others in their senior years, but this is not normally the case. Fortunately, the majority of people in this age group have health insurance that may help them pay for MS Rehabilitation services, which can become expensive over time.

 

What is the goal of Multiple Sclerosis Rehabilitation?

 

MS rehabilitation is designed to help promote both treatment and educational services that encourages good health and general condition. This can include reduction of fatigue, mobility improvement, personal care, and overall fitness.  MS patients are generally in the period of life where they are trying to raise a family, advance their careers, and get things in place to make their retirement comfortable. Along comes MS, and suddenly they are in constant pain, have trouble with speech, their memory begins to deteriorate, and as the disease progresses, the symptoms can become worse. Much worse. If you want to have a chance at a normal life, Multiple Sclerosis rehabilitation should be part of your overall treatment plan along with any drug therapies, diet modification, and exercise programs.

 

General categories of MS rehabilitation

 

Some of the general types of Multiple Sclerosis rehabilitation available are listed below. Not everyone needs all of them, and some may be needed for only a small window of time. Decide what might fit your needs and work with local support groups or your doctor to see where the services may be found.

  • Physical Therapy – The goal is to work with a physical therapist to achieve optimal functioning of the muscles, reduce spasticity, and hopefully avoid the later need of a cane or wheelchair.
  • Occupational Therapy – The goal is to find creative and useful ways to adapt the home or office environment to ensure accessibility for the patient and convenience so the patient can keep working, or provide their own care at home without the need of assistants.
  • Cognitive Rehabilitation – This form of MS rehabilitation often uses specialists like Neuropsychologists and occupational therapists to evaluate then treat problems with speech, memory, reasoning ability, and concentration.  Different methods are used depending upon the cognitive changes the patient experiences.

 

Vocational Rehabilitation – These are often government programs designed to offer job training, job placement, job coaching, and educational services.  The goal is to help patients either keep their current jobs or help them find employment that can accommodate their special needs.