Stay Active Exercise to combat fatigue
Picture courtesy of David Lloyd Leisure
Although not properly understood, weakness and fatigue in MS are thought to be caused by the poor transmission of messages by damaged nerves. Muscles that are not used regularly become weakened and require more energy to carry out tasks. This can lead to a cycle of decline, as an already weak muscle that is not used will become weakened further, a process known as atrophy. Regardless of whether you have MS or not, a lack of activity will lead to increased fatigue.
As muscle weakness in MS is due to problems with getting messages along the nerves rather than within the muscle itself, expending a great deal of energy by exercising to the point of exhaustion doesn't help the problem and can make fatigue and weakness worse. For many years people with MS were advised to avoid exercise due to the impact it could have on weakness and fatigue. It is now felt that exercise is beneficial if it works on building up endurance and strength in muscles without increasing fatigue.
The attitude of 'no pain, no gain' does not apply in MS. Whilst someone without MS can push themselves to exhaustion and then recover within half an hour, it is not a good idea for someone with MS to 'work through' fatigue; you may end up feeling worse, sometimes for days afterwards.
Fatigue can be difficult to come to terms with as it involves changing your routine to accommodate your MS and it can feel as if you are giving in and letting it get the better of you. However it is better to build up stamina and capacity slowly than to overexert yourself straight away.
MS Trust book Living with fatigue