Multiple sclerosis is a progressive autoimmune disease typically diagnosed in young adults, affecting the central nervous system causing damage to the myelin surrounding the nerves and lesions in the brain. Although the disease progresses differently in each person often gait and mobility problems are encountered. Individuals experience many different symptoms such as loss of sensation, visual or
vestibular function,
spasticity, weakness, central processing and motor output dysfunction. Any or all of the symptoms may contribute to a loss of balance leading to difficulty in walking.
If you experience balance problems you should see a physical therapist who is knowledgeable in treating patients with multiple sclerosis. Many people in my MS exercise class partially funded by the
MSFoundation find they are able to do so much more than they thought they were capable of. When people get the diagnosis that they have a neurodegenerative disease and experience a relapse many do not rehabilitate back to where they started. With proper guidance many of them are experiencing recovery of function that they thought was unattainable.
Unknown Feed
BalanceWear: Stabilize Your Body 
Looks interesting. Most of us MSers have other things going on, in addition to balance problems that effect our gait, such as spascity and foot drop. Does this device have a place in therapy for those of us with multiple sources of gait problems?
Garfield
June 29, 2012
Great question!
Yes, BalanceWear and Balance-based Torso-weighting can help people with spasticity and drop foot. It will not change the drop foot. For drop foot an ankle foot orthosis would be helpful as well as stretching the back of the calf and strengthening the front of the ankle.to do this start by raising your foot and toes up multiple times. This may need to be done in water or lying on your side to take away gravity.
Hope that helps answer your question.
Cindy
As far as spasticity goes I have occasionally seen this decrease if a person is just trying to stay upright using all they have. I have seen stretching be helpful too. Severe spasticity would most likely not be helped.
BalanceWear
June 29, 2012
Hello Cindy,
My name is Wellington Igunbor and I have gait problems, balance problems, and walking problems in general. I have been looking at this BBTW vest you have created to help people with those problems. I think this vest could help me greatly for me cause I suffer from MS. Now I see your based in the bay area of San Fransisco now I live all the way in Canada, Ontario if I wanted to get my hands on this vest to try it how would I do that? I also have a question for you could this vest also help with stiffness? because that is a symptom I also have
Wellington Igunbor
July 1, 2012
This is an amazing video of Erica. I think I could be helped by this vest also as I have issues with my gait and balance. Is this available in Pennsylvania, to be fitted for the vest?
donna
July 2, 2012
Hi Donna,
Depending on where you live we have people who could most likely help you. Please send me information Cindy@motiontherapeutics.com
BalanceWear
July 11, 2012