Question: What can be done to prevent deterioration in the upper limbs, balance, and mental capacity?

Answer: Multiple sclerosis (MS) can affect various systems and areas of the body, with the manifestation and nature of the disease differing from person to person. For instance, difficulties in upper limb function might stem from weakness, sensory impairments, or other factors. Mental changes depend on the area of brain involvement.

A comprehensive and precise assessment by an occupational therapist is essential to understand the underlying causes of the challenges in daily functioning.

Following the evaluation, a personalized treatment plan will be developed. This plan may include various exercises designed to maintain or even improve the components where difficulties are identified.

Question: I have difficulty with fine motor skills—objects fall from my hands, and I struggle with delicate tasks like tying shoelaces. Are there exercises or treatments available?

Answer: Fine motor skill challenges and sensory impairments in the upper limbs are common in MS. After a thorough evaluation, an occupational therapist can design a personalized program to address sensory and motor training based on your specific needs.

The effectiveness of the program will be monitored by evaluating your daily functional abilities that require these skills (e.g., tying shoelaces, as you mentioned). Additionally, validated and relevant standardized assessments will be used to track progress.

Question: Activities using my hands, like with balls, rubber bands, weights, cubes, or pencils, leave my hands completely non-functional afterward, so I avoid such activities. What should I do?

Answer: Maintaining functional abilities through regular upper limb training is crucial in MS. Consistent and appropriately tailored exercises can slow disease progression. However, exercises that lead to extreme fatigue, as you describe, may not be suitable for you in terms of difficulty, quantity, frequency, or timing during the day.

Energy conservation and management are key aspects of MS care. Performing exercises that cause such significant fatigue is counterproductive.

I highly recommend working with an occupational therapist to adjust and optimize your exercise routine. This will help ensure the exercises are suitable for your specific needs and allow you to train effectively without overexertion.