Multiple Sclerosis Case Study

It was 1868 when Dr. Jean Charcot discovered hardening of the plaques during an autopsy he was performing. He called it “Sclerosis in plaques,” also known as Multiple Sclerosis and today that affects more than 2.1 million people worldwide. MS is a chronic autoimmune disorder caused by the destruction of the myelin sheath that covers nerve fibers in the CNS. Myelin is the insulator of nerve conduction and it allows the signals to travel at fast speeds. During MS, demyelination occurs causing the nerves to fire at a slower rate than usual, making them fatigue more quickly. People with this disorder often have a variety of symptoms including problems with vision, strength, balance, coordination and sensation. Most people start developing symptoms between the ages of 20-40 with a higher occurrence happening in woman over men.
This particular MS case involves a 27 year old female student who was experiencing symptoms for a little over four months now. She was diagnosed and sent
It is important for Multiple Sclerosis patients to stretch to be able to participate in everyday activities and also prevent injury to the body. Stretches should be performed in a sitting or lying position allowing gravity to help with particular muscles. The movements need to be slow and gentle because if the stretch is performed at a fast rate spasticity will increase. When muscles are spastic, the muscle fibers with in the muscle decrease in size. Stretching should be performed at least three times a day to stay on top of the spasticity episodes. Each stretch should be held anywhere from 30-60 seconds. The more frequently stretching is performed will allow the muscles to be more mobile. Without a daily stretching program, the muscles will continue to increase in stiffness, decrease in size and lead to contractures, overall decreasing the functional mobility of the