-My balance my strength

[mo0427]

Hello everyone  I need some advice. For months I have been doing yoga and Pilates with great hope that it will give me my balance back. I really enjoy them but my question  is. Has exercise or these helped anyone in gaining if not most at least some of there balance. I wonder if I'm wasting my time.thnx in advance  ;)

[teenyturner]

Hi Lulu,

I have a chromosomal abnormality which causes copper metabolism problems which in turn causes bone marrow failure, CNS degeneration, joint/cartilage degeneration and other problems like aneurisms etc.

I wasn't advised not to exercise, just specifically to avoid Pilates and Yoga due to their philosophy of using opposing muscle groups to achieve strength and balance.  I was told that no amount of exercise was going to help me recover any loss of function or stop/slow any further loss of function.  Exercise would help with overall health and well being and weight control but needed to be prescribed by a physio with routine follow up checks to ensure I wasn't causing any harm.

I do try to exercise but am limited by nerve fatigue which prevents me from doing anything repetitive. 5 arm lifts and my muscles won't work any more etc.

Regards

[Lulu54]

Hi - I am sorry but I don't remember what condition you were diagnosed with ..  That seems really strange you were told not to exercise because as I know it, unless you have something like brittle bone disease, almost everyone benefits from some types of exercise.  

There are so many types of yoga, including chair yoga, and I hope you talked to your doctor about options.  Even if you just do the pes that help with breathing, relaxation and meditation.

Be well, Lulu

[mo0427]

On my off day from Jillian Michaels I'll pop the dvd from MS Active source in  and check it out. I promise, I got the book from them as well I enjoy it

[mo0427]

You don't have to have the disease to relate in some form  I have been doing the exercises and wonder will it help. I no it has help in my core strength but not fully my balance. It may not work but its the effort that counts. When I was going to PT my therapists was working with me on balance and core exercises. She also wanted me to lose my tummy which I love my baby gut. But I never realized how your stomach muscles are key strengthening
exercises so thanks

[teenyturner]

Gosh, I don't have MS so maybe the advice I've been given is different because my disease is different.

I've been told by PT and OT to avoid Pilates and Yoga. They said that because some muscles are intrinsically weaker due to nerve loss, that the muscle balance is abnormal and it's very easy to cause muscle and tendon damage.  

I was also told that the nerve damage is permanent and that my muscles do not have the capacity to become stronger due to neurological fatigue.

I insisted that I thought I had improved with the limited exercise program that I had done but I was assured that the improvement was due to neuro plasticity and not exercise.

I have continued on a gentle muscle strength and flexibility program but I have not had any further improvement which seems to give credence to the PT and OTs opinions.

I still say that if it gives you hope and makes you feel better, go for it.

[Lulu54]

The active source DVD is specific to MS and you might check it out, it is free.  :-)

[mo0427]

As far as the Dvd goes I have one from them just haven't used it. Too busy getting worked up and sweaty with Jillian Michaels :)

[mo0427]

Thank you I actually really enjoy my yoga and Pilates. My mindset is this MS is just a new addition to my life not a full part of me. I want my old me back but if not I want to manage the new me. :)

[shoshin]

You might ask for a referral to PT. From PT I got a few simple, targeted exercises that don't take much time, but that had a significant, positive effect on my balance. I got a lot more out of PT for balance than for endurance, strength or flexibility.

The other thing a good PT can do is figure out what's causing your balance problems. The balance system is composed of several components:

somatosensory: touch, proprioception (the sense of where your body is in space independent of seeing it based on sensations from the joints and muscles)
vision
vestibular: brain and inner ear; monitors motion, equilibrium, spatial orientation

A couple maybe useful links:

http://vestibular.org/understanding-vestibular-disorder/human-balance-system

http://www.msaustralia.org.au/documents/MS-Practice/balance.pdf

sho

[Lulu54]

You can google yoga and ms and find lots of information, including a link to the NMSS page with very useful information.

[Lulu54]

Hi, Mo. It always makes me happy to hear of people trying different forms of exercise to help with their MS.  There are several benefits of what you are doing with yoga.

Yoga has been shown to be very useful for flexibility and spasticity.  The mental aspect of yoga meditation is also shown to help with our mental health and cardiovascular system.  Yoga, if I am remembering correctly, is the #1 recommended form of exercise for MSers.  

It is a great form of exercise and although it won't return you physically to where  you were  before, it iis definitely helping you in many ways.  I hope you keep it up

For anyone else, there is a free yoga for MS from MS Active Source website that I know several people here have ordered.

As for Pilates, I have heard mixed reports as to whether MSers should do it because of the moves that involve the spine.  Be sure to talk to your doctor or MS nurse about Pilates and if it right for you.

Congrats to you for being proactive and doing good things to help your MS.


Wishing you well,
Lulu