The MS Wire

News, info and tips for living with multiple sclerosis

Category: Living with MS

PT or the pool for your MS exercise?

Dumbbells that could be used for MS exercises

A pair of studies released in December conclude that you are what you do when it comes to multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms. I agree. The first study, published in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders, concludes that aquatic therapy is better than conventional physical therapy (PT) at easing fatigue and improving balance. It’s a small study. Among 26 people with relapsing-remitting MS, 14 performed progressively harder balance and gait exercises in…Continue Reading

Is your MS ready to handle a hurricane?

What does a hurricane have to do with my multiple sclerosis (MS)? Watching the season’s first major hurricane blow its way up the east coast of the U.S. a couple of weeks ago, and now in the heart of the Atlantic hurricane season, I’m thinking back three years to Hurricane Ian. In September, 2022 Ian slammed into southwest Florida, its eye passing right over the community where my wife and…Continue Reading

Can a smartphone + artificial intelligence predict MS future?

A smartphone using AI to predict MS progression.

My smartphone can do just about anything. Could it also predict mymultiple sclerosis (MS) progression? Maybe. Scientists at Google have teamed with others at the University of California and the Duke University School of Medicine to develop a way to use artificial intelligence (AI) learning methods to analyze data collected by smartphones and wearable devices. They report they’ve been able to predict the appearance of five, high-severity MS symptoms –…Continue Reading

Trying BrainHQ to keep my MS brain sharp

Start window for a BrainHQ memory exercise.

I like to play brain games. The Words with Friends app and on-line puzzles, like Connections on the New York Times app, keep me thinking. That’s important to someone with multiple sclerosis (MS), where cognitive fog and fatigue are both common symptoms. So, I was very interested when I was offered the chance to try a website and app called BrainHQ. It’s more than just a game. BrainHQ is designed…Continue Reading

Did we need this MS research?

Man at a laptop doing research.

Have you ever looked at a multiple sclerosis (MS) research paper and thought “why in the world did they waste time and money on that?” I read one of those reports the other day, about MS fatigue and life quality. The news was headlined in one publication as “Fatigue significantly contributes to impaired well-being in MS.” Gee, really? The Finnish researchers studied data from more than 500 people with MS.…Continue Reading

Did miss-matched medications make for some choppy cruising?

Choppy cruising waters

I’m writing this on Deck 14 on the cruise ship Celebrity Beyond. Cruising isn’t new to me but it’s often a challenge because of my multiple sclerosis (MS) mobility problems. This trip hasn’t been any different. I try to plan for all possibilities, of course. Accessible stateroom? Check. Confirm that onshore excursions can handle me with my scooter? Check. Prescription Scopolamine patches to wear behind my ear to prevent seasickness?…Continue Reading

Meals and my multiple sclerosis

Steak and asparagus on a plate

I’ve never been someone who eats healthy meals. I didn’t as a child and I’m not much better as a 76-year-old man. Research, over the years, has shown that there could be a connection between my meals and my multiple sclerosis (MS). Now, a recent study, by researchers at the Yale School of Medicine, adds more weight to that possibility. The study, published in the January 16, 2025 edition of…Continue Reading

A pain in the hip is an MS pain in the neck

Lightning bolt to describe my MS leg pain

It was 3:20 in the morning when my leg jolted me awake, zinging with pain. It ran down my shin and across the top of my foot. The leg then gave a spastic jerk, bending at the knee and rapidly pulling up toward my chest. Then it slowly lowered, but the pain continued for several more minutes. Repositioning my legs combined with mentally trying to relax finally ended the episode,…Continue Reading

Real people at the check-out make things easier for me

Illustration of person with crutches in front of a wheelchair

My thanks to my neighborhood supermarket and all of the other stores that still have real people at some of their check-out aisles. It’s a lot easier for folks like me, who have a handicap like multiple sclerosis (MS), when we don’t have to be our own check-out clerks. It’s one of the little things that make a big difference when you’re riding a mobility scooter, using crutches, or even…Continue Reading