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.
Progressive MS Health & Wellness Resource Guide
By: Denise Bruen, Roz Kalb, and Mandy Rohrig
Gather information about how progressive MS is diagnosed and managed and the important role of overall health and wellness through a variety of articles, booklets, webpages, and videos from Can Do Multiple Sclerosis and the National MS Society.
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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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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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Strategies to Improve Functional Vision Performance in Multiple Sclerosis
By: Fay Jobe Tripp, MS, OTR/L, CDRS
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is commonly known to affect a person’s overall physical functioning with limitations in movement coordination, strength, endurance, and sensation with numbness. To maximize function, independence and safety, it is important to successfully incorporate compensatory strategies into purposeful occupations and functional daily activities in the home, in leisure skills, at work, and in the community.
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The Relationship Between Exercise and Cognition
By: Mandy Rohrig, PT, DPT
As we start the New Year, we are often reminded of the importance of physical activity. A benefit of exercise that you may not have considered is the profound effect it has on the most magnificent muscle of all: your brain.
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No Easy Answers: Treatment Decision-Making in MS
By: David Jones, MD; Rosalind Kalb, PhD; Mandy Rohrig, PT, DPT
Every day you are faced with countless decisions. What should I have for breakfast? What clothes should I wear? Other decisions, of course, are more complex, such as which bill to pay first or how to strategize with a work team to impress a potential customer.
Goal Setting & Attainment
By: Can Do Multiple Sclerosis
Everyone sets goals in their lives. Goals are set for many reasons and usually with noble intentions. The New Year is a time when many people set ‘resolutions’ or goals for the coming year. Often these ‘resolutions’ are broken before the beginning of February.
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Maintaining Motivation for Exercise
By: Dr. David Engstrom, ABPP, FACP, Can Do MS Programs Consultant
Many of us face the challenge of maintaining balance in our lives. One of those challenges is being able to maintain motivation for your exercise program.
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Get Back on Track: Keep Your Motivation Alive
By: David Engstrom, Ph.D., ABPP, Can Do MS Programs Consultant
Change can be hard. Every one of us has trouble with it. New Year’s resolutions are a perfect example of how change can be hard. Whether you made a plan before the New Year and never got started, or you started off great and didn’t follow through, goals are often not accomplished because they are too big, vague or complicated. Make your goals attainable, simple and small.
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Exercising Your Brain Power
By: Pat Kennedy, RN, CNP, MSCN, Can Do MS Nurse Educator & Programs Consultant
We often talk about the value of exercise for your health and well-being. As it turns out, exercise is valuable for your brain as well.
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