March 14, 2024 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Exercise improves mental health, life quality for MS patients: Analysis Getting physical exercise can improve subjective well-being and health-related quality of life for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a new meta-analysis shows. “Exercise interventions, especially aerobic or combined aerobic and resistance training, should be implemented in clinical practice to promote mental health” and health-related quality of life in people…
February 28, 2024 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Balance training helps both in easing fatigue, restoring balance: Small trial Both balance and endurance training can help to ease fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) ā but if problems with balance are a concern, then balance training would be the best choice as it targets both fatigue and balance, a small study found. The study, āFatigue may…
April 7, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias What my spring training looks like with MS My exercise routine was first disrupted by the pandemic. Then Hurricane Ian landed a right hook on the exercise room in my Florida community, knocking it out of action. But not long after that, my thoughts were turning to something sweeter ā pitchers and catchers returning to spring…
August 25, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Aquatic Exercise Found to Ease Fatigue, Improve Balance in MS Aquatic exercise therapy can help to ease fatigue and improve balance in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), without notable side effects, according to a review of published studies. These findings have important implications for MS patients, as fatigue is among the main symptoms of the disease and…
August 15, 2022 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Exergaming May Be Better Than Other Exercises, But Study Needed Virtual reality exergames ā immersive video games whose play involves physical exercise ā may be better than conventional exercise at easing certain symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), such as balance and upper limb function, a review of published studies suggested. However, differences among the evaluated studies ā in matters…
August 8, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Stem Cell Transplant, Tysabri, Exercise, Zinc Stem Cell Transplant Found to Reduce MS Relapses, Ease Disability This is excellent news for those of us who would like to see stem cell transplant for MS become more available and affordable. These researchers analyzed 50 studies covering a total of 4,831 people with MS, ages 26 to…
August 8, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Study Shares Successful Recruitment Strategies for MS Exercise Trial By engaging a variety of stakeholders from across the multiple sclerosis (MS) community, researchers in the U.S. Deep South were able to enroll more than 800 patients to a clinical trial in just over two years in what’s considered the largest study of an exercise intervention in MS patients…
August 2, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Research on Exercise’s Protective Effects Flawed, Researchers Say An international team of scientists is calling for more rigorous studies to test whether exercise can help protect the nervous system from damage in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The scientists argue clinical trials that have evaluated exercise in MS have marked flaws in their design, making…
July 26, 2022 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Exercise in Early MS May Ease Mood Disorders via Immune Alterations Exercise prior to being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) was associated with less depression and anxiety among patients, likely due to a reduction in the levels of an inflammatory molecule called interleukin-2 (IL-2), a study revealed. “This finding supports the notion that exercise in the early stages may act…
July 22, 2022 News by Mary Chapman Degree Deodorant Gives 3 Runners Second Chance to Finish Marathon Degree Deodorant wants people to have the confidence to persevere in the face of obstacles or self doubt. To that end, the leading antiperspirant company is introducing its Not Done Yet Marathon Team, composed of individuals, including a multiple sclerosis (MS) patient, who did not finish their marathon.
May 25, 2022 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Exergaming Shows ‘Superior’ Efficacy at Easing MS Symptoms in Trial A five-week, high-intensity video game-based exercise program called exergaming outperformed other forms of exercise at easing symptoms and improving life quality in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a small trial found. While all exercise programs slowed symptom worsening over two subsequent years of lower-intensity exercises, exergaming led to the…
May 19, 2022 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Low-impact Aquatic Exercise a Good Alternative, but Access Is a Barrier Aquatic exercise is used less often by people with multiple sclerosis (MS) than land-based exercise, but it’s generally well liked by those who use it, a patient survey found. A lack of pool access and associated expenses remain significant barriers to aquatic exercise. The team also found that exercise…
May 16, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Music, Resilience, Childhood Abuse, Exercise Biogen, MedRhythms Working on Music Therapy for MS Gait Issues This is music to my ears. Sorry, I couldn’t resist, but I’m a big music fan. Music in my ears really motivates me when I’m exercising. So the idea of using computer-based music therapy to improve someone’s gait has…
February 14, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Physical Activity, Coping Skills Can Help to Ease Anxiety With MS Getting more physical activity and having effective ways of coping with multiple sclerosis (MS) could help to ease anxiety in patients, a review study suggests. “The findings of this review highlight links between anxiety in MS and a number of diverse factors, all of which are amenable to change,”…
December 31, 2021 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Cognition-targeted Exercise May Boost CBTās Easing of Fatigue Cognition-targeting exercise, when combined with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) ā a type of talk therapy ā may further ease fatigue and other symptoms in people with multiple sclerosisĀ (MS), a study found. The study, āThe added value of cognition-targeted exercise versus symptom-targeted exercise for multiple sclerosis fatigue: A randomized…
October 11, 2021 News by Mary Chapman Yoga Moves MS Virtual Health, Wellness Forum Set for Nov. 6 Yoga Moves MS is not letting the pandemic keep it from its annual educational event for those with multiple sclerosis (MS) ā on Nov. 6, the group will again present a virtual version of itsĀ Yoga Moves Holistic Health and Wellness Forum for MS. The four-hour forum seeks…
September 3, 2021 Columns by Jamie Hughes Just Put One Foot in Front of the Other Iāve been working on my health this last year or so, trying everything from a vegetarian diet to visiting an acupuncturist to help with muscle tension and headaches. All of it has been just wonderful. But the elephant in the room ā the thing I still needed to…
June 21, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Myelin Repair, Early DMT Use, Online Physical Therapy, At-home Exercise Scientists Discover Enzyme Needed for Activating Myelin Repair Here’s encouraging news for those interested in remyelination ā and who isn’t interested in repairing our frayed MS nerves? Yes, it’s only a mouse study, but maybe it’s the starting point for finding a way to use a particular enzyme to…
June 15, 2021 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Home-based Exercise Viable Alternative for RRMS Patients A home-based rehabilitation program can help ease fatigue, improve motor and cognitive function, and promote better quality of life in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a small clinical trial has found. While a structured supervised exercise program was better at improving fatigue and health-related quality of life, the…
February 24, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Physical Inactivity, Smoking Linked to Patient Fatigue People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who smoke tobacco or are not physically active are more likely to experience fatigue that interferes with their daily life, a new study indicates. The findings suggest that physical exercise and quitting smoking could help ease fatigue in people with MS. The study, “…
December 18, 2020 Columns by Ed Tobias Getting Back to Physical Therapy for My MS Are you sitting down? I am, but I’ve been doing too much of that this year. For the past six months, I haven’t been using our community exercise room. I haven’t been able to swim. I haven’t gone outside that much. I’ve become a couch potato, and you know why:…
December 9, 2020 News by Diana Campelo Delgado MS Has Greater Impact on Womenās Physical Activity, Study Reveals Multiple sclerosis (MS) has a greater impact on women, reducing their levels of physical activity and increasing sedentary behavior, a recent study has found. The study, āDoes Multiple Sclerosis Differently Impact Physical Activity in Women and Man? A Quantitative Study Based on Wearable Accelerometersā was published in the…
November 24, 2020 Columns by Jessie Ace How Lucy the Dog Changed My Life A pet is the most loyal companion a person can have.Ā Iām currently sitting in my dadās home office and typing away on my laptop. Itās nice to have a change of scenery. I brought my tiny dog, Lucy, with me as usual.
November 20, 2020 Columns by John Connor To Be Forewarned Is to Be Forearmed My travails with MS invariably deal with what it does to me. This week, dear reader, it’s what I did to my jolly old self! I’ve got a daily light exercise routine designed for me by an occupational therapist (OT) and a physiotherapist. Why two professionals? Well, the…
October 30, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Adults With MS Wanted for 12-week Trial Assessing Health Benefits of Tele-exercise Adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological disorders are being recruited to take part in a 12-week clinical trial that aims to assess the health benefits of home-based tele-exercise ā performed while seated ā led by the Burke Neurological Institute, in New York, according to an…
October 13, 2020 News by Teresa Carvalho, MS Risk Factors for Unemployment in People With MS Identified in Study Factors related to disease and personality, as well as specific health-related behaviors, are among the main determinants that can put people with multiple sclerosis (MS) at risk of unemployment, a study suggests. In particular, MS disease course, fatigue, self-efficacy (belief in one’s own abilities to cope, in this…
September 9, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD COVID-19 Pandemic Had Minimal Emotional Impact in Progressive MS Patients, Survey Finds While theĀ COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the psychological well-being of people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosisĀ (MS), it led to minimal changes in depression, anxiety, and quality of life, according to data from an international survey. This was true even for the 4% of patients who reported…
August 3, 2020 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Regular Exercise Helps Preserve Key Brain Areas, Study Finds People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who exercise regularly are able to maintain volume in the hippocampus, a brain regionĀ responsible for learning and memory, a study reports. This work “adds to the growing body of evidence that exercise has many benefits for people with MS,” the National MS…
July 17, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Special Exercise App Wins Favor in Progressive MS Study, But Little More A multimedia smartphone application designed to precisely inform about exercise and track physical activity ledĀ primary or secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) patients to be more active ā but no more than a comparison patient group given only a…
July 14, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Alternative Medicine Popular With MS Patients in US Northwest, Survey Finds Complementary and alternative medicines are increasingly popular amongĀ people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the northwestern United States, a survey found. More than 80% of the 1,000 people who responded to the Oregon Health & Science UniversityĀ (OHSU) survey reported using supplements and exercise to help treat their MS, and…