Physiotherapy is Key for MS Sufferers

Multiple Sclerosis disease has gone from being considered a rare disease to one which has now affected more than 47,000 people across Spain, that is the alarming message from the Spanish Society of Neurology in commemoration of the National Day of Multiple Sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis is one of the most common central nervous system diseases that affects the brain and spinal cord. An estimated 47,000 people affected by multiple sclerosis exist in Spain, according to data from AEDEM-COCEMFE. It is a disease that currently has no cure and is the second leading cause of physical disability in young adults (20 to 40 years), mainly affecting women.

The CGCFE association wants to renew previous claims, such as calls to increase research funding, and thus show support to the group of patients and families affected by this disease.

People affected by MS often experience a varied set of symptoms ranging from fatigue, balance problems, mobility problems, weakness, pain or muscle spasms, loss of memory and attention, among others. Adequate, accurate and early diagnosis, together with the application of pharmacological treatments and physical therapies are essential in patient suffering from multiple sclerosis.

Therapies developed in the field for this condition focus on maintaining joint amplitudes, struggling to delay the onset of joint stiffness and inhibit spasticity; prevent deterioration and muscle weakness strengthening exercises of the musculoskeletal system always according to the degree of exercise tolerance of the patient; adapted depending on what stage of the disease the patient is at.

Each year more than 1,800 people are diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in Spain. This chronic disease that impairs the central nervous system is present worldwide, shown for the first time in most cases in people between 20 and 40 years, and specifically, 70% of those affected are women, according to studies.

The Spanish Association of Multiple Sclerosis (AEDEM-COCEMFE) celebrates the National Multiple Sclerosis Day on 18 December, highlighting the situation of those affected by this chronic neurodegenerative disease and remembering some of its lines of work.