Rehabilitation


Nurse helping lady stand

Rehabilitation is therapy aimed at maintaining or improving your function and quality of life.

You work in partnership with a health professional with the aim of improving your physical function, comfort and quality of life.

MS may provide you with a variety of physical, psychological or social complications, but with the help of rehabilitation specialists, you should be able to live your life as fully as possible.

If your MS symptoms are making everyday activities such as dressing, work, leisure or communication difficult, you can discuss rehabilitation with your GP or neurologist. They can refer you to rehabilitation services such as cognitive rehabilitation, speech therapy, physiotherapy, continence services or occupational therapy

Neurological rehabilitation refers to the specific area of supporting people with neurological problems. Specialists will see people with a variety of different diagnoses, but who often experience very similar problems such as fatigue, spasticity, pain, bladder symptoms or impaired memory or cognition. The physiotherapist that you see may also have clients who are recovering from injury, or dealing with the effects of stroke or other neurological disease.

Everyone’s experience of MS is different, and you may see rehabilitation specialists that other people with MS do not. Your programme of rehabilitation may take place in various places, such as in your home, in hospital or in a community setting. You should feel free to discuss your goals and ensure that your rehabilitation is tailored to meet your health needs.

Find out more

References
Burks JS et al.
Rehabilitation challenges in multiple sclerosis
Ann Indian Acad Neurol. 2009 Oct-Dec; 12(4): 296–306.
Full article (link is external)
Bhasker, A. et al.
Rehabilitation for people with multiple sclerosis: an overview of Cochrane Reviews
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019; 2019(1): CD012732.
Free article (link is external)