Easy MS Self-Care Tips to Get You Through the Days

A diagnosis of multiple sclerosis can be devastating at first, but it is far from a death sentence. Many people still live long, full lives and even have children while existing with the disease. They have just learned some tips and accommodation techniques to make their lives simpler during those times when pain becomes exacerbated.

You too can employ some self-care techniques to get you through the days so that you are still enjoying as much of life as possible. Alternative therapies, within reason, seem to also help alleviate some of the symptoms of the disease. Here are some self-care tips to ponder:

1. Rest and relaxation – Tiredness and fatigue is one of the most prevalent symptoms of MS. As such, you should always get plenty of rest and relaxation. Don’t be afraid to ask for help with tasks around the home. Employ your kids to some of the laundry or scrubbing the tub. Better yet, hire a housekeeper on an as-needed basis and keep the pizza place on speed dial for those times when you just cannot cook.

2. Beat the heat – Heat sensitivity is a big issue for people with MS as the heat can aggravate symptoms or cause symptoms to creep up temporarily if you are in a remission state. Muscle weakness is a major problem as is dizziness. For this reason, some people cannot take hot baths or showers anymore and must settle for lukewarm water and avoid hot tubs and saunas. The best thing to do when you become overheated is to get cool as soon as possible. Within a few hours, the symptoms usually abate.

3. Exercise for health – While you may not feel like it, exercise can really help MS sufferers. You can keep your strength and stamina up with exercise. This is helpful as exercise can give you an energy reserve to draw on when symptoms creep up on you. In addition, with exercise, you can expect better strength, coordination, balance and muscle tone. With your blood pumping, the increased oxygen levels and endorphins can also chase away depression and even anger. Swimming seems to be the best exercise for those with MS because it can be cooling and it gives you a great cardiovascular workout in a low impact way.

4. Dietary needs – There are no special foods in particular that you need to consume when you have MS. However, it is important to eat a healthy, balanced diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy and lean meats. Of course, this is sound advice for anyone with health issues, not just those with MS. You really are what you eat so if you eat a diet high in fat, you can expect to get fat and feel tired all the time. However, healthy eating will give you energy and you are far less likely to gain weight.

5. Alternative therapies – There are many alternative therapies that you can try, as long as you run them by your doctor first. Reflexology, the ancient Chinese practice of applying pressure in certain trigger points in the hands and feet definitely help. However, acupuncture is an alternative treatment that should not be tried because its effects on your immune system are still questionable.

All in all, people with MS have many options in regards to self-care. Once people are past the stage of self-denial about the disease, it is necessary to be proactive with it. Instead of lying around feeling pity for yourself, you should take charge of the disease and do everything you can to lessen the severity of the symptoms. You are going to have the disease whether you do anything or not, so why not do something positive and reap the benefits?