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| Wellness Program Multiple Sclerosis |
The eminent sociologist Arthur Frank writes that illness and wellness occupy two different continua; individuals with chronic conditions can therefore experience illness and wellness at the same time. Now is the time for people with MS, whether they use a wheelchair or scooter, are able bodied with significant sensory symptoms or overwhelming fatigue, or have any of the other possible manifestations of MS, to respond "I am well." The goal is to embrace a philosophy of wellness while still honoring one's own life challenges.
General wellness relies on more than well-functioning myelin. In fact, a very wise physician, Sir William Osier, said, "If you develop a chronic illness and take the best possible care of it, you will live a longer and healthier life than those who do not have that advantage." Taking the best possible care of MS means more than treating the disease and its symptoms. It also means protecting one's general well being by adhering to all of the general preventive care guidelines for good health.
People who have MS are certainly not immune to other medical problems, such as cardiac disease or cancer. They should embrace the kinds of preventive health care that goes beyond what is demanded by their MS. Family members of people with MS also need to take care of their own health.
Over the course of years living with the disease, people who have MS (and their doctors) have a tendency to focus on MS management to the exclusion of other significant health and wellness concerns. My goal is to remind all of us that having MS does not "protect" a person from developing other medical problems, and that various symptoms can be caused by issues other than MS. Healthy living and preventive care are just as important for people who have MS as they are for every other member of the family.
Making a Commitment to Wellness
MS CAN ROB people of significant control over some very basic elements of physical function and create uncertainty about the future degree of disability. Given that this is so, how can an individual maximize his or her feelings of control and strive to fulfill personal goals? Although the approved disease-modifying medications are helping to alter the course of the disease, the person with MS still needs to make a personal commitment to wellness. A particularly effective approach is for families affected by MS to work on wellness together.
Why, other than physical limitations, does health maintenance remain a low priority for so many people? "I don't have time" is the most common response. What is needed requires only a few hours in each person's week.
The earlier such a routine becomes a part of your life, the better off you are. Here are some specific recommendations for making the best use of this relatively small weekly time commitment:
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WEEKLY HEALTH-PROMOTION BEHAVIORS
- Engage in 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise five times a week.
- Maintain a healthy body weight.
- Avoid smoking and recreational drug use, and use caution if you drink any alcohol, particularly if you have problems with walking or balance.
- Schedule an annual health maintenance visit with your primary care provider and follow up with needed testing, such as screening for high blood pressure, diabetes, elevated cholesterol, colon cancer, dental disease, breast and cervical cancer (for women), and testicular cancer (for men).
- Take a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement, and include at least 1000 mg of calcium in your diet every day (1500 mg for women after menopause or for any man or woman whose mobility or capacity for weight-bearing exercise is limited).
- Make time for safety practices in your daily life, including seat belts, violence prevention, and condoms if you are at risk for sexually transmitted diseases.
REGULAR AEROBIC EXERCISE and strength training decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, promote bone health, and improve overall quality of life. For these reasons, the Surgeon General recommends that all Americans strive to maintain a regular exercise program. Exercise is especially helpful in MS. A number of studies have found that exercise for people with MS provides many benefits, including improved fitness, muscle strength, and quality of life. Participants in some studies also had less disability, depression, pain, and fatigue.
Your physician can help you identify which type of exercise program would be most beneficial for you and which, if any, need to be avoided in order to protect certain muscle groups or reduce the risk of injury or over-exertion. An exercise "prescription" will often include a warm-up period with stretching, aerobic exercise that gives you a mild workout without making you short of breath, strengthening exercises, and a cool-down period.
Your chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society can steer you toward safe, supervised exercise programs. Your choice of exercise may be as simple as walking alone or with a group (even at malls) or taking a yoga class. To find out more, you can check out Wellness Program Multiple Sclerosis.