Symptoms
- Fatigue (most common symptom)
- Numbness and tingling
- Muscle weakness and spasticity
- Balance and coordination issues
- Vision problems
- Cognitive difficulties
Common causes
- Autoimmune attack on myelin sheath
- Genetic susceptibility
- Environmental factors (low vitamin D, latitude)
- Viral infections (Epstein-Barr virus)
- Smoking
How physiotherapy helps
Treatment focuses on fatigue management, maintaining mobility and function, spasticity management, balance training, and exercise prescription tailored to energy levels. Cooling strategies and pacing techniques are important.
Exercises your physiotherapist may give you
- Aquatic exercises (in cool water)
- Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise
- Stretching for spasticity management
- Balance exercises on stable/unstable surfaces
- Resistance training (avoiding overheating)
- Yoga and tai chi for flexibility and relaxation
Please note: start these exercises only after an assessment, and stop if pain increases. Your physiotherapist will choose the right exercises, number of repetitions and progression for you.
Guide written by the physiotherapists of CAPT – Centre for Advanced Physiotherapy, MVM Educational Trust. For more reading, search MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine).