June 14, 2017 Columns by Mike Knight How Pilates Changed My Life ā¦ and My MS, Part Three: Mariska Brelandās Pilates Tips Note to readers: This is the last of a three-part series focusing on the valuable role Pilates has played in my life with MS. If you missed the first two, youāll find them here and here. This column focuses on…
May 30, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye: A New Study about Lemtrada, An Easy Way to Improve Balance, A New PML Case Reported and Kudos to Us Relapse after First Lemtrada Course No Indication of Poor Long-Term Outcome, Study Finds Some MS patients being treated with Lemtrada report new exacerbation after they complete round one of the drug, and they wonder if this means the drug isn’t working.
May 26, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #CMSC17 – Single Session of Ball-throwing Exercise Improves Balance Control in MS, Study Shows Patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) regain part of their balance control after a single training session of ball-throwing exercises, finds a study supported by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Researchers presented theirĀ study, āA Single-Session Training of Ball Throwing Exercise Improves Balance Control in Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis,ā at…
March 7, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Horseback Riding Helps People with Movement Disabilities, Review of 16 Studies Concludes Riding and other activities with horses can help adults and children with the balance, gait, and psychomotor disorders that are hallmarks of multiple sclerosis, according to review of 16 studies. The review, āTherapeutic Effects of Horseback Riding Interventions: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis,ā was published in theĀ …
February 13, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Tongue Stimulation Could Give MS Patients Better Rehabilitation Outcomes, Study Suggests Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients given gentleĀ electrical stimulation to their tongues during physical and cognitive rehabilitation training benefited more than those who did not have the stimulation,Ā a small pilot study demonstrated. Those who received the weak stimulation had significant improvements in balance and better scores than controls in cognition and other…
February 9, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Shoe Insoles Meant to Make Walking Easier for MS Patients to Be Tested in Australia A specialty shoe insole that mayĀ helpĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) patients walk and go about their daily lives with more assurance and ease was developedĀ by an Australian-led research team, which is now seeking 176 patientsĀ to test the insoleĀ in a three-month trial. The study is led by Anna Hatton, a physiotherapy professor…
January 4, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Party with MS: Tips for Staying Aware, Carefree on the Dance Floor Cookies and veggie tray in tow, and trepidation in check, I ventured to a New Yearās Eve party at a friendās house. Since my diagnosis of MS, New Yearās Eve has been celebrated at home with Dick Clark, and then Ryan Seacrest, to keep me company. In Winter…
October 14, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Regular Exercise Found to Repair Damage to Neurons in Brains of Mice Voluntary running triggers a molecule called VGF, a nerve growth factor,Ā that was seen to induce a brain repair mechanism in animals, researchers at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa in Canada report. The findings have important implications for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other conditions caused by damage to…
October 7, 2016 News by Charles Moore University to Use New Balance and Mobility Trainer for Therapy, Research The University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) recently installed a state-of-the-art SafeGait 360 Balance and Mobility TrainerĀ on its Austin, Texas campus. The device isĀ a ceiling-mounted body-weight support and fall protection system that tracks patient movements 2,500 times per second. The trainer was designed in collaboration with…
September 20, 2016 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – MS Patients Achieve Sustained Improvements in Mobility with Ampyra A recent study showed that the clinical benefits offered by Ampyra (fampridine) in improving mobility among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients hasĀ clinical significance. The results were shown in an oral presentation, āSustained clinically meaningful improvements in walking ability with prolonged-release fampridine: results from the placebo-controlled ENHANCE study,ā atĀ the European Committee for…
September 7, 2016 News by Charles Moore Earlier Detection, Timely Treatment for MS, Parkinson’s Possible with Virtual Reality Tool Scientists at Russia’sĀ Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) and Siberian State Medical University (SSMU), bothĀ inĀ Tomsk, have developed a diagnosis system for neurodegenerative diseases in the early stages. The system uses virtual reality (VR) technology to immerse a subject in a virtual environment during functional tests designed to detect early symptoms of…
June 8, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #CMSC16 – Aging MS Patients Experience Greater Physical Dysfunction There is a greater number of older people with multiple sclerosis than ever before, and the number is likely to continue growing. That combination, of old age with MS, puts people at risk of significantly reduced physical function than those without the disease. This was a key finding of a…
June 8, 2016 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD #CMSC16 – Tai Chi Shown to Improve Balance and Strength in MS Patients Researchers atĀ Texas Womanās University identified tai chi as a beneficial therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with impaired balance, as it can improve their endurance and strength and decrease fatigue. The results of the study, “The Benefit of Tai Chi for Balance and Gait in People with…
June 7, 2016 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD #CMSC16 – MS Patients, Physical Therapists Have Distinct Decision-Making Processes for Improving Gait, Balance Understanding and combining decision-making processes of both patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and physical therapists to improve balance and gait — the movement of the lower limbs for locomotion — may help optimize patient outcomes. The findings wereĀ recentlyĀ shownĀ in an oral presentation titled “Understanding Engagement Decisions to Maximize Gait…
June 3, 2016 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD #CMSC16 – Robot-assisted Rehabilitation May Improve MS Patient Locomotor Function Robot-assisted training may be anĀ effective therapy to improve motor function in the lower limbs of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and help in rehabilitation, according to the study “Robot-Guided Rehabilitation Improves Sensorimotor Functions in Lower-Limb Impairments of Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis,” presented at theĀ Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers…
January 12, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Researchers Share Findings on Fall Risk and Balance Improvement The 5thĀ International Symposium on Gait and Balance in MS, held in September 2015, focused entirely on research into balance and its lossĀ in multiple sclerosis (MS). Nearly 100 clinicians, scientists, engineers, and others sharing this research interest gathered to discuss why and how often MS patients fall, and how to…
December 22, 2015 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc MS Patients Show Better Gait and Balance with Dalfampridine Treatment In a new study, researchers evaluated the effect of dalfampridine treatment in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and observed significant improvements in not only walking speed and distance, but also in gait and balance. The paper, titled āDalfampridine Effects Beyond Walking Speed in Multiple Sclerosis,ā was published in the…
December 16, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Physical Therapy in Need of Proper Study, Experts Say The National Multiple Sclerosis SocietyĀ announced that a panel of expertsĀ led a comprehensive review of 142 published studies addressing rehabilitation in multiple sclerosis (MS), and found evidence suggesting that weekly in-home or outpatient physical therapy offers benefits ā but, mostly, it found a lack of well-designed studies into…
December 11, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Study Recruiting MS Patients to Assess Exercise and Behavioral Therapy Dr. Bradley Bowser, a South Dakota State University (SDSU) researcher and assistant professor, is investigating whether the practice of exercise, either by itself or together with cognitive behavioral therapy, can effectively improve mobility and quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is a neurodegenerative condition that oftenĀ induces…
January 15, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Researchers Study Device to Improve Balance for MS Patients Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients often experience difficultyĀ with balance and fear falling, which may prevent themĀ from being social or participating in exercise and community activities, affecting their quality of life. However, a pioneering study conducted atĀ the University of Massachusetts Amherst is looking to understand the role of…
June 13, 2014 News by Maureen Newman Motor and Sensory Rehabilitation Training Benefits Multiple Sclerosis Patients’ Balance A study involving a clinical trial treating multiple sclerosis patients with sensory training was published in Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation and reports optimistic results. Lead author Davide Cattaneo,…