Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) — a congressionally chartered veterans organization open to all military service members with multiple sclerosis (MS) — has launched a new, free, online fitness and wellness program that offers adaptive, expert-led classes for individuals with mobility challenges. The initiative is designed specifically…
mobility
Regular physical activity was independently linked to lower disability, fatigue, and depression over time in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study found. Other lifestyle factors also supported better outcomes. For example, eating a higher-quality diet was independently associated with less disability, while not smoking was…
A Georgia State University researcher won a $1 million U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) grant to study whether a program combining cognitive training with exercise can help prevent falls in older adults with multiple sclerosis (MS). “Falls are so common — and frightening — in older adults,” Katherine…
Aquatic therapy significantly eased fatigue and improved balance in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in a clinical trial in Greece, outperforming results from a control group who participated in a conventional physiotherapy program. “Our work suggests that incorporating [aquatic therapy] into MS care can meaningfully alleviate fatigue and balance deficits,…
When the lights come up at the MS Focus on Fashion gala, the runway will be more than a showcase for beautiful designs. The Nov. 14 event in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, will be a celebration of confidence and connection for people living with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to…
A robotic exoskeleton dubbed Atalante X, which allows people with severe mobility issues to stand upright for rehabilitation exercises, is now cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use by people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and a broader range of individuals with spinal cord injuries. Additionally,…
Having better physical performance is associated with higher cognitive function in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), particularly among those with more disability, a study finds. Disability levels, in turn, correlate negatively with cognition and physical performance, with patients with moderate disability having worse scores on assessments than those with…
Three self-reported prevalent symptoms among people with multiple sclerosis (MS) – fatigue, mobility issues, and cognitive impairment – are generally not associated with lower engagement in healthy lifestyle factors, a study in Australia shows. However, in the long term, mobility difficulties may significantly reduce adherence to physical activity, a…
Have you ever been on a flight of stairs and misjudged the height of the steps, causing you to lose your footing? That happens to me more than I’d like to admit. This misjudgment stems from our depth perception, which is our ability to view the world in three dimensions,…
I have a kilt. It’s just a simple, olive-colored utility kilt, and I don’t wear it because of family or cultural tradition. I wear it because it’s comfortable, looks right with my knee-high compression socks, is nearly perfect for wheelchair use, and quite frankly, makes me look even cooler than…
Aranzazu Calzado, known to friends as Zazu, has lived in Houston, Texas, since 1996 after moving from Spain. She was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis in 2021 and faces the challenge with resilience, faith in God, family, and friends as her support network. She finds joy in helping…
Aetna Healthcare has agreed to reimburse Helius Medical Technologies’ PoNS device, short for Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator, which uses electrical stimulation to improve walking in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The policy covers PoNS at an out-of-network negotiated price of $18,350, making Aetna, one of the largest private health…
My family and I just returned from a vacation to the place I wrote about in my very first column for Multiple Sclerosis News Today, only not to the same house. I can’t make it up and down the stairs there anymore, so my wife found us a wheelchair-accessible…
People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have chronic lower body pain show distinct changes in how they walk, including significantly slower gait speed, than those without pain, a study reports. Those with chronic lower body pain also took fewer and shorter steps, had longer step durations, and had…
Wandercraft has launched Walk in New York, a new rehabilitation center that offers access to its advanced mobility devices for people with severe walking impairments, including those with multiple sclerosis (MS). The center provides sessions with neurological rehabilitation therapists and walking sessions with its robotic exoskeleton,…
United Healthcare will reimburse the cost of the PoNS device, which uses electrical stimulation to improve walking, for its insured members with multiple sclerosis (MS). The reimbursement covers $18,100 for the device and its controller, including patient copayment. This represents the device’s approximate list price adjusted for…
The healthcare costs of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) are high, according to a real-world study in Spain, and higher still for younger patients and those with severe disability who cannot walk unaided, even for short distances. On average, yearly costs for one patient amount to more than €41,000…
Some exercises are better than others at easing certain problems associated with balance in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), and the most effective type may depend on a patient’s specific issue, a small study suggested. The findings “provide valuable insights into the long-term effects of these exercises,” the researchers…
In recent months, I’ve attended a couple events in large stadiums. Last December, I went to the Music City Bowl college football game in Nashville, Tennessee, where Mizzou (the University of Missouri) beat the Iowa Hawkeyes. I also saw a Justin Timberlake concert at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City,…
Fampridine, which is approved to improve walking in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), and the disease-modifying therapy Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) seem to have the greatest benefits on MS walking abilities, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis of treatment options. The data align with previous findings for fampridine, which…
Black people with multiple sclerosis (MS) walk more slowly and cover shorter distances over a certain time period than white people with the disease, a study in the U.S. finds. While the differences were somewhat attenuated when other factors that may impact walking ability were considered, such as age,…
Anne Rosales is a mother, grandmother, and community volunteer, as well as a certified Aging in Place specialist. She was diagnosed with MS in her mid-50s. (Photos courtesy of Anne Rosales) Day 6 of 31 This is Anne Rosales’ story: My handicap parking placard arrived a few months ago.
A 14-week regimen of physical therapy combined with PoNS — a neurostimulator device used to improve mobility — led to significant gait improvements in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), with evidence that its benefits are sustained over time, according to new data from the real-world PoNSTEP clinical study.
IRX4204, a compound that Io Therapeutics is developing to treat neurological diseases, facilitated myelin repair and improved walking abilities in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS) in a recent study, scientists report. “Our findings support the therapeutic potential of IRX4204 to promote functional neurologic recovery in…
Adding noninvasive brain stimulation to physical therapy may help people with multiple sclerosis (MS) improve their balance and walking ability, a study shows. Benefits to physical therapy with and without brain stimulation were observed, but most only remained significant after six months in those who’d also received brain stimulation.
Helius Medical Technologies is opposing new decisions from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that stipulate how much of the cost of its PoNS device — a neurostimulator designed to improve mobility in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) — will be covered by these…
People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who better adhere to an at-home therapy regimen with the PoNS device — which provides electrical stimulation to the brain and is approved for use in combination with physical rehabilitation — may experience greater improvements in walking function. That’s according to early data…
I stopped driving nearly five years ago. That was probably six months or more after I should have. By that point, I was doing it mainly by using my truck’s cruise control and occasionally having to use my gradually weakening arms to lift my right foot off the accelerator and…
Cionic has partnered with Lovell Government Services, a veteran-owned business, to expand veterans’ access to its Neural Sleeve, a leg-worn device to improve walking in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other conditions that affect mobility. The lightweight garment is approved in the U.S. for use…
One thing I learned during my Army medic training is that I’m not particularly squeamish — with most things, that is. I have a theory that everyone has at least one thing that will turn their stomach. Every medical provider I’ve met either knows exactly what can make them gag,…