Library Articles
At Can Do MS, we know that the power of knowledge can transform lives and expand beliefs about what is possible.
These articles are written by our nationwide team of program consultants - renowned healthcare professionals dedicated to educating people living with MS and their support partners. You will find valuable information and approaches covering our Six Dimensions of Wellness- Emotional Well-Being, Cognitive Well-Being; Home & Work; Diet, Exercise & Healthy Behaviors; Relationships; and Spirituality.
These articles are provided as general educational resources and should not be interpreted as diagnoses, prognoses, or treatment suggestions. Information and perspectives represent the views of the individual author(s); Can Do Multiple Sclerosis is not responsible for the accuracy or currency of the responses. Readers should consult with their healthcare team.
Diet and Exercise Updates
By: Alex Ng, PhD, FACSM, Lynn Stazzone, RN, BSN, MSN, NP
Life after diagnosis with multiple sclerosis (MS) can be overwhelming because symptoms vary from person to person. Remember, there is a lot of information out there that may be misleading. Rely on healthcare providers and valid organizations to provide factual information. Although there is no diet for curing MS, there are dietary habits that may alter the course of the disease.
Continue Reading
Does My Period Make My MS Symptoms Worse?
By: Megan Weigel, DNP, ARNP-C, MSCN - Nurse Practitioner
There’s really no other way to ask it. You’re a woman living with a menstrual cycle, and now you are a woman living with MS and a menstrual cycle. Sometimes, around or during your period, your MS symptoms seem worse. You may be more fatigued or foggy, or you may feel more tingling, pain, weakness or spasticity.
Continue Reading
Adaptations for Staying Active and Involved
By: Susan Kushner, MS, PT, Stephanie Nolan, OTR/L
Living with MS can bring many challenges that most people never even consider; however, having MS has also helped many people learn resilience and resourcefulness. As we have learned over the past year, MS impacts many areas of life and function including fatigue, motor coordination, sensory function, heat tolerance, cognition, relationships, emotions, bowel and bladder, pain, sleep and more.
Continue Reading
Integrating Nutrition into Your MS Toolkit
By: Cathy Chester – Award Winning Blogger and Person with MS , Baldwin Sanders, MS, RD, LDN, IFNCP - Dietitian, Megan Weigel, DNP, ARNP-C, MSCN – Nurse Practitioner
Integrative Medicine uses conventional medicine along with complementary and alternative medicine that is evidence-based to address a persons’ health and any symptoms they may have.
Continue Reading
Bowel and Bladder Symptoms: Tips for Success
By: Lindie Schreiner, PTA
Bowel and bladder changes are common challenges that many people with MS face. Your healthcare team can help you navigate these challenges!
Continue Reading
Pain in Multiple Sclerosis
By: Abbey Hughes, PhD and Aliza Ben-Zacharia, PhD, DNP, ANP, FAAN, MSCN
Pain is one of the most common “invisible” symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), affecting approximately two-thirds of people with MS over the course of their lives, and approximately half of people with MS at any given time. Despite the high prevalence of pain in MS, less than one-third of patients report receiving treatment to specifically address their pain. Routine assessment and comprehensive treatment of pain is essential for promoting function and quality of life among people with MS.
Continue Reading
Relationships and Intimacy
By: Kathleen Healey, NP, PhD and Meghan Beier, PhD
Up to 80% of people living with MS will experience a sexual challenge throughout their lifetime. However, sexual challenges are not just experienced by people living with MS. Approximately 35-40% of people in the general population also experience sexual difficulties. So, what gets in the way?
Continue Reading
Sensory Symptoms in MS
By: Kathy SanMartino, PT NCS, MSCS, CLT, ATP and Randall T Schapiro, MD, FAAN
Among the most common symptoms in multiple sclerosis are the sensory symptoms. They are often the first symptoms of MS and while invisible to the naked eye, can be among the most bothersome. The list is long and may involve every inch of the human body. While ever present, these symptoms usually do not predict a poor prognosis. Nonetheless they are important to understand and manage as best as possible.
Continue Reading
Intensity Matters: Frequency, Effort, and Resistance in Exercise
By: Jennifer Keller, MS, PT
Intensity Matters: General Tips for Endurance & Resistance Exercise
Continue Reading
Managing Employment Challenges with MS
By: Rosalind Kalb, PhD & Steven Nissen, M.S., CRC
Multiple sclerosis (MS) can cause a wide range of symptoms that may impact a person’s activities in the workplace, including fatigue, changes in thinking and memory, mood changes, visual problems, reduced mobility, balance, and strength, and bladder or bowel difficulties. Depending on the severity of the symptoms and type of work one does, a person’s ability to work may be unaffected or severely limited. And given the variability of MS symptoms, work activities may be affected more on some days than others.
Continue ReadingThese programs are possible thanks to the generous support of the following sponsors:
