Library
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.
Driving with MS: A Psychological Perspective
By: Cecilia Capuzzi Simon
Life does not end without driving! It does, however, change. How will you define your new normal? Your new independence? Your freedom?
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Car Talk
By: Cecilia Capuzzi Simon, Psychology Feature Writer
Symptoms of MS, especially cognitive changes and spasticity, can affect driving performance and increase a risk of a car crash. In fact, persons with MS are three times more likely to have a car accident, putting themselves and others at risk. While there are many modifications and adaptations that can assist with driving, loses in driving skills are common. At some point, it is time for all of us, with or without MS, to hang up the car keys. For loved ones, bringing this up can usually be unpleasant, emotional, and relationship-straining. Many families, including mine, go through similar struggles with their aging parents.
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Are We There Yet?
By: Ben Thrower, MD
A cure for multiple sclerosis. That is what we all want, correct? While we have not reached the cure yet, we are getting closer. When we think about a cure for multiple sclerosis, that term may mean different things to different people. To those who are newly diagnosed, a cure might mean a completely effective therapy that would completely eliminate any risk of relapses, new lesions on MRI, or progression of disability. For those who have been dealing with multiple sclerosis for a while and may have accumulated some disability, the cure would mean stopping any further progression and erasing any disability. Admittedly, we have come a long way since 1992 when there were no FDA approved treatment options for multiple sclerosis. So where are we right now with current research in multiple sclerosis?
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Sometimes It’s Hard to Be a Woman: Women’s Health Issues in MS
By: Meghan Beier, PhD & Cheryl Blaschuk, RN, FNP, MSN
Living with multiple sclerosis (MS) presents a unique challenge for women. Until relatively recently, most of the medical and rehabilitation research focused on either males exclusively, or mixed populations without examining differences in gender. As an example, prior to 1990, there was only one publication that examined the unique demographics of women with functional or cognitive challenges. New lines of research produced a better understanding of the prevalence of MS among women, as well as unique considerations needed for assessment and treatment in this gender.
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Cognitive Challenges and MS: What You Need to Know
By: Darla Freeman M.A., CCC/SLP & Juliann Hanson-Zlatev OTR,
Cognitive changes are a common symptom in MS. Up to 65% of people who have a diagnosis of MS also experience cognitive changes. In some cases people may identify cognitive changes as some of the earliest symptoms of M.S they noticed.
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The Ups and Downs of Fall Prevention
By: Michelle H. Cameron, MD, PT and Stephanie Nolan, OTR/L
Do you have MS? Do you fall? Do you wonder if you fall more than other people without MS? Do you want to know what to do to prevent falling? This article summarizes what we know about how many people with MS fall, the many possible causes of falls in people with MS, and provides tips and suggestions for things you can do to reduce the risk of falling.
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Discovering Your Sexual Self
By: Dr. Linda Mona, Ph.D
Discovering yourself and what feels right to you is a life-long process, one that does not have a final conclusion. Keep an open mind while learning about yourself and begin your journey to knowing the sexual person that you are!
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Exercise and Cognition: Research Updates
By: Mandy Rohrig, PT, DPT
The positive effects of exercise on our bodies are widely known - improved muscular strength, weight management, balance, cardiovascular health, and reduced risk for some cancers and type 2 diabetes, just to name a few. These measurable physical changes are often the focus of goals and intended outcomes for exercise. An often overlooked advantage to exercise is the benefit that exercise may have on our minds - the most magnificent “muscle” of all.
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Realistic Resolutions: Changing Resolutions into Habits
By: Peggy Crawford, PhD; Stephanie Buxhoeveden, MSCN, MSN, FNP-BC; Mandy Rohrig, PT, DPT, MSCS
New Year’s resolutions often involve aspirations to improve wellness. While wellness is frequently thought to include just diet and exercise, it includes many more dimensions. Can Do MS and the National MS Society recognize six dimensions of wellness: 1) Diet, Exercise, and Healthy Behaviors, 2) Relationships, 3) Work and Home, 4) Emotional Wellbeing, 5) Spirituality, and 6) Cognitive Well Being. Learning about what is included under each dimension of wellness, thinking about them on your own and with others, including your support partner, can help you to prioritize your wellness needs and then select the wellness dimension that you wish to improve.
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Cognitive Rehabilitation in MS: Research Update
By: Abbey J. Hughes, PhD & Pamela H. Miller, MA, CCC-SLP
Cognitive changes are common among individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), affecting 40-60% of the MS population. Much like physical MS symptoms, cognitive changes vary widely from person to person. Whereas many individuals with MS experience slowed processing speed as their predominate cognitive difficulty, others may experiences problems across a number of cognitive areas including learning, memory, problem-solving, and word-finding. Given the wide range of cognitive difficulties, treatments for cognitive impairment in MS are not a one-size-fits-all approach.
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