Multiple Sclerosis, also known as MS, is where scar tissue forms in different areas of the brain and spinal cord that slow or stop the electrical nerve impulses/transmission. When the scar tissue forms in the brain or spinal cord, it is called sclerotic plaques. When this happens, it can cause swelling and the loss of myelin that covers the end of each nerve, known as the nerve axon. The myelin is the substance that helps electrical impulses to move from one nerve axon to the next.
The onset of MS varies, but generally happens between 20 and 40 years of age. Women are affected more often than men are, however, their symptoms are usually not as severe as it is in men. About 2/3 of people that are diagnosed with MS are still able to be functional and mobile with little to no aids even 20 years after they have been diagnosed with MS.
Symptoms of MS range greatly between each person and can change frequently for the same person. This all depends on where the sclerotic plaques develop in the brain or spinal cord. Some of the symptoms are as follows: If the optic nerve is affected it can cause vision problems and if the trigeminal nerve is affected it can cause trigeminal neuralgia; fatigue, spasticity, weakness, impaired proprioception, tremors, altered posture, compensating structures, paresthesia (numbness, tingling or burning), temperature regulation issues for both hot and cold; swelling, memory issues, depression, euphoria, and movements that aren’t smooth. More symptoms can happen, but they are much less common.
Treatment for MS using Massage Therapy
This condition can change often for the same person, each massage treatment will more than likely, be different than the previous ones. Because of this, it is hard to describe how the treatment will go as the goals of the treatment will be constantly evolving. There are some cases where treatments won’t change much between sessions if they don’t experience multiple symptoms.
First and foremost, the massage is done to not fatigue or stress the client, especially if they are already experiencing a lot of fatigue from their condition. This means that the massage will be done more in the context of a relaxation massage to help with calming the nervous system, decreasing pain, increasing circulation, and help with full-body awareness, especially for those who are experiencing tremors or paresthesia. In this case, the treatment portion of the massage, to treat trigger points as an example, may only be done for a small portion of the massage. Another example is that some may not be able to handle deep tissue massage. Other areas that are treated during the massage is to help with decreasing swelling, treat muscle or postural imbalances, maintain tissue and joint health, and decrease spasticity.