Featuring Barry A. Hendin, MD

MSAA’s Chief Medical Officer

Question: In what ways are exercise, environment, and equipment involved with balance for individuals with MS?

Answer: Ensuring good balance is vitally important for individuals with MS, since problems with balance are common and increase the risk of falling. Such issues may be caused by lesions in areas of the brain that affect balance, as well as other MS symptoms, such as numbness and changes in vision. Exercises, environmental considerations, and equipment are often recommended to address problems with balance in MS.

Certain exercises may be helpful to improve balance. A physical therapist or other professional in this field will need to evaluate the problems that are specific to an individual and determine which exercises may work best to improve balance. These typically involve exercises that promote strength, range of motion, and vestibular (inner ear) function. Such exercises often include changes in position as well as shifting weight forward and backward and from side to side.

Environmental considerations encompass a range of challenges, from variations in floor and ground surfaces, to using stairs and ramps, plus staying balanced while in a large store or on a crowded walkway. Inside the home, the kitchen and bathroom pose several challenges, particularly for people who are heat-sensitive, since these rooms are often warmer while cooking or running hot water. Getting in and out of the tub, as well as moving between workstations during food preparation, can be hazardous for someone with balance issues.

Different types of equipment are also designed to improve balance and increase safety. Sturdy shoes, canes and walkers, shower chairs and grab bars, are among the many options that can help individuals to avoid falls. A physical therapist or other professional in this field can assist with selecting the appropriate equipment products.

For more information, please visit MSAA’s webpage focusing on balance issues.

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Barry A. Hendin, MD, is a neurologist and Director of the Arizona Integrated Neurology MS Center. He is also Director of the Multiple Sclerosis Clinic at Banner University Medical Center and Clinical Professor of Neurology at the University of Arizona Medical School.

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