Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, usually progressive, disease that primarily affects young adults. Approximately 400,000 people in the United States and 2.5 million people worldwide have been diagnosed with MS. Its effects vary widely. Although there is no known cure for the disease, it can be successfully controlled with medical management and rehabilitation. Physical therapists help people with MS regain and maintain strength, flexibility, and general fitness, and to live active, productive lives.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease that involves the loss of myelin, a material that covers and protects the nerves in the body’s central nervous system. Without myelin, nerves cannot properly communicate with each other. MS symptoms vary from person to person, depending on what part of the nervous system is affected, including structures that control movement, sensation, and mental and emotional processes. Often, one of the first signs of MS is a change in vision, such as double vision. Nearly all persons with MS also report difficulty walking, and with other body movements.