Muscle Weakness Relief in Multiple Sclerosis

Muscle Weakness Relief in Multiple Sclerosis

Doing daily activities, such as walking, holding a glass of water, and eating food, results from the communication between the brain and muscles. Wherein the brain controls movement and sends electric signals to the muscles through a network of nerves, and these signals make the muscles move.

When developing multiple sclerosis (MS), the immune system attacks the nerves, leading to destroying the myelin sheath, a protective layer that surrounds and protects nerve fiber. And when the myelin sheath is damaged, a disorder occurs in transmitting nerve signals properly from the brain to certain parts of the body. This nerve damage can lead to muscle rigidity or weakness, which reduces the ability to move and perform daily activities. Muscle weakness often occurs in one side of the body, legs, or torso. And it might be like other MS symptoms, and disappear during remissions.
In this article, we will tackle muscle weakness relief in multiple sclerosis.

Types of Muscle Weakness

When nerve fibers are damaged, the brain cannot efficiently send signals to the muscles to flex or contract. As a result, the patient would not be able to use these muscles properly, and they become weak when not used. Even the muscles that are not directly affected by MS could become weak if one had symptoms like fatigue and aches that hinder movement and exercising. And with time, the muscles will become weaker.

Some MS patients feel that their muscles become tired more than usual. For example, the patient might feel that their legs are unstable, or have difficulty moving them after walking for a while. Multiple sclerosis can sometimes affect feet muscles, making walking difficult. And as a result, the patient might have to drag their feet when walking, and this is called foot drop.

Muscle Weakness Relief Methods

That main MS relief methods will focus on slowing down the disease’s progression, prevent exacerbations that would harm the nerves, and alleviate the symptoms. The relief methods include the following:

 Medications

Medications that accomplish the above goals might be essential for relieving multiple sclerosis. Including: Steroids, interferon-beta, plasma exchange, Glatiramer acetate (Copaxone), and muscle relaxants. However, these medications do not stop MS progression and prevent muscle weakness. Therefore, MS patients should follow a healthy lifestyle and take the wellness supplement package for multiple sclerosis by Hekma Center.

 Exercise

Exercising is another critical factor for relieving multiple sclerosis. Wherein a combination of heart and strength exercises can fight muscle weakness and supply the body with more energy. And when muscles become weak due to lack of movement, resistance training using weights can strengthen them.

  Physical Therapy

Physical therapy can help enhance the body’s ability to move more smoothly. The physiotherapist can demonstrate to the patient how to exercise properly in order to avoid injury or severe fatigue. But when the reason behind weakness is nerve fiber damage, the treatment strategy would be slightly different. For the goal would be to use the affected muscles as much as possible by staying active and lifting weights in order to strengthen the muscles around the affected muscles. In this case, the therapist must teach the patient methods to reduce the effects of muscle weakness.

As for foot dropping, the therapist might prescribe braces for the ankle to prevent the foot from dragging when walking. The patient might also need occupational therapy to learn new strategies for walking at home and work. Moreover, some tips can help alleviate MS symptoms, like maintaining a sleep pattern, taking enough rest, reducing stress, reducing caffeine intake, maintaining a cool body temperature, as well as committing to a healthy, balanced diet.

Consulting a Doctor Regularly

Multiple sclerosis symptoms are not the same for everyone. Each patient has a different experience with the disease. Therefore, it is important to consult a doctor and a physiotherapist to find the correct relief methods for muscle weakness.
The patient might need to try different methods in order to find a suitable relief for muscle weakness and other symptoms. These methods might consist of a group of medications, physical therapy, and tools. And if one method is not effective, the patient can inform the doctor, and find the suitable relief through trial.

Here we have tackled muscle weakness relief in multiple sclerosis.