to judge where their body is in
space. If one of these systems is
particularly weak, strengthening
the others can help compensate.
Coexisting MS symptoms
such as fatigue and spasticity
can make balance problems
even worse, as can sedating
medications. “When I’m well
rested, I tend to be able to
march right along,” Wideman-Williams explains. “When I’m
fatigued, my gait changes and
I tend to stumble a bit. That’s
how people in my life notice
I’m fatigued.”
Treatment methods
Because the factors leading to
imbalance in MS vary so widely
from person to person, no “one
size fits all” approach to therapy
exists. Your doctor and physical
therapist can help identify the
causes of your impairment
and determine the approaches
most likely to help you fight
back successfully.
SHAWNA KEMPPAINEN
for imbalance, but it has the
potential to help by improving
function.”
The potential benefits of
any drug must be weighed
against the risk of side effects.
Dr. Baloh cautions against the
indiscriminate use of anti-vertigo
medications, such as meclizine,
for people with MS. “It is purely
a symptomatic treatment,” he
says. “It does not get at the
underlying cause and may even
complicate balance problems by
causing sedation.”
Similarly, vestibular
rehabilitation—a treatment that
uses specialized eye exercises,
head movements and balance
practices to improve balance—are
probably useful for only a subset
of people with MS. “Vestibular
rehabilitation exercises help the
brain adapt to impaired inner
ear function,” says Dr. Baloh.
“When the damage is central, as
it is with MS, there’s less evidence
that these exercises are going
to be beneficial.” Still, a small
Lisa Green, 48, diagnosed with
MS in 1998, uses the Alter-G, an
anti-gravity treadmill at Great
Moves, a physical therapy clinic
in Colorado Springs, Colo. The
machine’s technology, along with
its “zip-in” support, helps Green
maintain her balance as she
walks. “Gaining or maintaining
strength in my legs helps my
overall balance in other activities,
too,” Green says.
