An Interview with Body Builder David Lyons

Competitive bodybuilding is one way that David Lyons conquers multiple sclerosis (MS). Diagnosed with MS in 2006, David is motivated to educate and inspire people living with the disease to focus on fitness and nutrition and to develop a mindset that anything is possible.

In 2012, with his wife Kendra Lyons, R.N., David founded the MS Fitness Challenge (MSFC) charity to help bring his message worldwide. David has received the Milestone Award from the National MS Society, and in 2015, he was presented the Health Advocate Lifetime Achievement Award by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

He’s also the author of “David’s Goliath: Winning the Battle Against All Odds” (2013) and “Everyday Health and Fitness with Multiple Sclerosis: Achieve Your Physical Wellness While Working with Limited Mobility” (2017). He’s working on a new show called “Pumped: The Muscle Hustle” with Lou Ferrigno.

He spoke with HealthCentral about his experience.

HealthCentral (HC): What were the initial symptoms that led to your diagnosis?

David Lyons: MS caught me off guard in the gym. Initially I experienced severe pain, numbness, tingling, and lack of coordination in my left arm while working out. Within a few weeks, the symptoms radiated throughout my body and moved into my legs. I became bedridden for months during the pre-diagnosis and diagnosis stage. When I was finally hospitalized, I was almost paralyzed from the chest down.

HC: What did you most fear when you learned of your diagnosis?


David: After a five-day stay in the hospital, the symptoms were still so severe that I felt I could not continue as a bodybuilder, or might not step foot in a gym again. The neurologists said that MS would quickly make me wheelchair bound due to the tremendous nerve damage I experienced during that initial attack. I began to fear that would become my reality. Twelve years later and almost 60 years old, I’m still not using a wheelchair.

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Building Your Fitness Future With MS: An Interview with David Lyons

Using Tai Chi To Help MS Symptoms

Tai Chi, also called Tai Chi Chuan, is an ancient Chinese martial art that has evolved into a multiple-element form of exercise, featuring slow, gentle, dance-like movements that encourage deep breathing and relaxation, improve balance, and strengthen muscles and joints. I’ve heard Tai Chi referred to as “meditation in motion.” One benefit of Tai Chi is that is doesn’t require any special clothing or equipment. It is one of the mind-body therapies in complementary and alternative medicine that begins where you are and doesn’t push you beyond your abilities, but does encourage you to explore the edges of your comfort zones.

How does Tai Chi help MS?

Several studies have examined the effect of Tai Chi on different aspects of living with MS and its symptoms. In a systematic review of the literature, researchers found evidence that supports the effectiveness of Tai Chi on improving quality of life and functional balance in people living with MS patients. A small number of studies also reported the positive effect of Tai Chi on flexibility, leg strength, gait, and pain. The effect of Tai Chi on fatigue, however, is inconsistent across studies.

Tai Chi and quality of life in MS

Quality of life (QOL) is a helpful measurement in MS studies because it encompasses physical, material, social, and emotional well-being, as well as personal development and physical and social activity. Five studies examining the effect of Tai Chi on QOL in MS were included in this systematic review. In general, MS patients who engaged in Tai Chi sessions over three- to twelve-week time periods experienced significant improvements on subscales of QOL such as pain, emotional well-being, energy, vitality, social function, health distress, physical health, mental health, and overall QOL.

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Benefits of Tai Chi for Multiple Sclerosis

Does Your Neurologist Talk About Exercise?

Exercise is an important part of multiple sclerosis management. Exercise not only helps cardiovascular health, it can increase strength and flexibility, reduce spasticity and fatigue, and improve self-efficacy and mental well-being. Recent research has shown that exercise also can promote remyelination and brain repair in mouse studies.

Exercise: It does a body good

What constitutes exercise may differ dramatically from one person with MS to another. What is an appropriate exercise for me may be dangerous and highly inappropriate for you, or might be sorely insufficient and too easy for someone else with greater physical abilities than either of us. Just as people with MS are unique with our symptoms and disease course, our individual needs for exercise and/or rehabilitation can vary considerably as well. There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to physical activity.

Does your doctor talk to you about exercise?

I asked a few MS friends if their doctors ever discussed exercise recommendations. The responses ranged from “I would just like for my neurologist to give me the hope of doing exercise but he's already written it off and condemned me to a chair!” to “I don't really expect any from a neuro, but I do expect my neuro to recommend me to a PT/OT that can with help me with that.”

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Should Doctors Talk More About Exercise to MS Patients?

Feeling Better Through Diet and Exercise

I am amazed at how much health can change dramatically in one year.

Last fall, I was in excruciating pain from osteoarthritis. After learning that I have grade 2-3 cartilage loss in the left knee, my orthopedic doctor gave me three hyaluronic acid injections to help ease the pain. He also suggested that the only truly effective way to get better was to ride my exercise bike.

My rheumatologist (the one who just retired) was kind enough to order physical therapy for me so that I could receive expert guidance on what types of activities I should be doing to delay possible knee surgery in the future. She also suggested that I consider weight loss surgery because being morbidly obese was not helpful.

Slowly, I began to ride the exercise bike at home more frequently and for longer periods of time. My physical therapist worked with me for two months to build strength and flexibility. She also determined that my knee cap was “frozen” in place which wasn’t helping matters either. Correcting that situation was enormously painful, but worth it in the long run.

Around the same time, I began to honestly assess what I was eating, document meals and snacks, and use my FitBit to monitor activity. I started slow but began to lose weight after a couple of months. I noticed that if I continued to exercise and document everything, I continued to lose weight. One month that I couldn’t ride the exercise bike the scale didn’t move as much, which strengthens the message that a combination of diet and exercise is most effective for weight loss/management.

Over the course of one year, I was able to drop 54 pounds (and still counting). The pain in my knees is almost a non-issue as long as I continue with the at-home plan my physical therapist created. I have achieved actual remission of my RA, which is different than low-disease activity or near remission. And, I feel pretty doggone good.


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Diet and Exercise Have Helped My RA

Walking To Get Healthy

I’ve been writing about multiple sclerosis and chronic health topics every week for over 8 years. There is very little chance that I’m in denial regarding the state of my health or disability. Only rarely have I overestimated my ability to do something.

I’m fortunate to be a person living with MS who responds well to treatment and has even experienced an unexpected improvement of physical function after changing disease-modifying therapy 6 years ago.

Last year when my doctor recommended that I strive to walk 10,000 steps every day, I was dubious. But I was also not sure how many steps I might be getting on a routine basis because I wasn’t measuring them. When I got a Fitbit, I was excited to be able to see just how much I was moving (or not) around the house on a normal day.

What I quickly discovered was that during a typical day, I really only walk about 3,000 steps while working at home. On days that I’m more active, I reach 5,000 steps; and if I go out and about, I may reach 7,000 steps. I never get close to the recommended 10,000 steps on a normal day.
Earlier in the summer, Rob and I were in Chicago for a conference. We took a brief walk on Saturday afternoon in the downtown area to get in some exercise after a long day of sitting in meetings. Later in the evening we walked down to the Navy Pier area to watch fireworks over the water.

After returning to the hotel, I checked my Fitbit and noticed that I had reached about 9,100 steps. I was so excited. “Rob, we have to go back out. I might actually be able to get in 10,000 steps if we walk up and down the block one more time. Come on, let’s go!”


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Getting Healthier 10,000 Steps at a Time

Three Things My Doctor Got Right

When I was first diagnosed with MS, there was so much I didn’t know about the disease or about my own body. I thought that I knew, but in looking back I had very little idea.

And to confuse matters, it seemed like I was always one doctor’s visit ahead of my neurologist when it came to recognizing what I needed, such as occupational/physical therapy to rebuild strength in my left hand, a disabled parking placard to avoid becoming a walking hazard, and medication to combat spasticity.

Here was our routine: I would notice a subtle symptom or growing problem and mention it during an office visit. He would examine what could be detected and determine that it was not something to be concerned about. Something would happen between visits related to the original concern and I would dutifully report it. He would then prescribe or recommend whatever service or intervention it was that I originally thought I needed.

At the time, these delays were annoying, but it was a bit entertaining to feel as though I was always one step ahead of my doctor. In retrospect, I feel disappointed that perhaps my neurologist was not as responsive to my concerns as he should have been - a disappointing story which is shared repeatedly among patients in the MS community.

However, there are several things which my doctor got right in his advice and recommendations that I didn't fully appreciate at the time. Here are three of those pieces of wisdom.

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3 Things My Doctor Got Right

Exercise Helps Urinary Symptoms in MS

One of the most common physical dysfunctions in multiple sclerosis is urinary incontinence (UI) - the leakage of urine at inappropriate times. It is also common in the general population with an estimated 115 million people worldwide reporting UI in 2013, and more than 12.6 percent of the general population in the United States being diagnosed with UI.

An estimated 50-100 percent of people with MS will experience UI. Both men and women can experience UI, but it is more common in women. UI frequently involves pelvic floor muscles that attach to the bottom of the pelvic bones to form a bowl-like structure that lifts to support internal organs and control sphincter muscles.

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) include frequency, urgency, stress and urge incontinence as well as voiding or obstructive complications. Stress incontinence occurs when the pelvic floor muscles are too weak to stop urine from leaking when you cough, laugh, or sneeze. Urge incontinence, or overactive bladder (OAB), occurs when urine leakage is closely preceded by a powerful urge to pass urine. It’s often a “I gotta go, gotta go, gotta go NOW," type of situation. Functional incontinence involves leakage when you struggle to get to the bathroom in time.

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Want to Improve Urinary Incontinence Symptoms? Try Physical Therapy

Exercise is Good for Mental Health and Brain Volume

Two unrelated open-access studies, published recently online, emphasize how exercise may benefit people living with multiple sclerosis. One study demonstrated that physical activity is associated with increased brain volume and the other showed that increased physical activity is associated with improved mental health and higher quality of life for MS patients.

Physical activity and brain volume

In a recent study published in Behavioural Neurology, a team of researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign identified an association between increased physical activity and higher volumes of brain tissue as measured by MRI scan in people with MS.

Physical activity was measured by an accelerometer worn for 7 consecutive days with data categorized by time spent in sedentary behavior, light physical activity, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Data collected on days where the participant failed to wear the device for ≥ 10 hours without periods of inactivity exceeding 60 minutes (indicative of noncompliance) were excluded from the analysis.

Results from the study, involving 39 people with MS (30 female, 9 male; age 48.7 ± 9.6; disease duration 10.3 ± 8.5; EDSS 4.5 ± 2.5; and 77% with relapsing-remitting MS disease course), provide the first evidence that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity is associated, not only with volumes of whole brain gray and white matter but also, with deep gray matter structures that are involved in motor and cognitive functions in MS.¹

In other words, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) seems to protect against brain atrophy in people with MS, including areas of the brain connected to motor and cognitive functions. No associations were found between sedentary behavior and light physical activity with MRI outcomes.

Authors conclude that this study “supports the possibility that enhancing physical activity, specifically MVPA, could contribute to brain health in people with MS [which is] important considering brain volume is correlated with disability status and cognitive impairment in MS.”

Physical activity and mental health

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Exercise and Physical Activity Have Multiple Benefits for People with MS

What is Better: Endurance Training or Resistance Training?

Physical activity is an important part of staying healthy. Not only do we, as people living with MS, need to maximize cardiovascular health, we also need to maintain muscle strength and flexibility. However, multiple sclerosis is often associated with reduced physical fitness and lower quality of life.

Before I began riding the exercise bike regularly last fall, I would get winded much more easily. My heart and lungs were not functioning at their full capacity and I realized that I needed to do something about it. Although I really started riding the bike to improve my osteoarthritic knees, doing so helped me to get my heart pumping and to work up a sweat.

Over these past several months, I’ve noticed that both my strength and endurance have improved. I definitely feel better, physically and mentally.

Endurance training vs resistance training
Both options are good! People with MS are able to improve their physical fitness, including aerobic capacity and muscle strength, with either a combination of endurance and resistance training or endurance training alone, according to a recent study. Both forms of exercise used in the study reduced fatigue and improved quality of life for MS patients, especially in the areas of general health, mental health, vitality, and social functioning.

Trial participants (n=60; 44 female, 16 male) were randomized into one of two groups: the combined workout group (CWG) or the endurance workout group (EWG). MS patients completed a physician-supervised training program that lasted three months and consisted of two moderate-intensity training sessions per week, each of which was 40 minutes long. The CWG group exercised 20 minutes on a bicycle ergometer, followed by 20 minutes of resistance training. The EWG group focused on endurance exercise for the full 40 minutes. Twenty-three patients dropped out of the trial due to lack of time, long distance to training location, new workplace, or exacerbation.

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Which Type of Exercise is Better for People with MS?

(photo credit: pippalou)

Keeping Up with Weight Loss and Exercise Goals with MS

Staying motivated while making lifestyle changes can be challenging. How many times have you started an exercise or diet program just to fizzle out in enthusiasm after a month or two?

In February I shared with you how wearable technology, such as a FitBit device, can help to provide motivation to make lifestyle changes. I began wearing a FitBit last summer, but it wasn’t until November that I began making a concerted effort to exercise more, taking advantage of the Airdyne exercise bike in my basement.

Throughout December and January, I attended twice weekly physical therapy sessions to work on strength and range of motion with the goals to improve physical function and reduce the pain I was experiencing from knee osteoarthritis.

When I reported my progress in February, I had lost 19.5 pounds. Here it is 28 weeks from when I started keeping track of food consumption and exercise, and I have now lost 34 pounds. Whoohoo!

Update: It has now been 32 weeks and I've dropped 40 pounds!

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Weight Loss and Exercise: Staying on Track with MS

Reaching Goals With Daily Decisions

The beginning of each year is a popular time for resolutions – eat better, lose weight, exercise regularly – you know the routine. Did you make any New Year’s resolutions?

I didn’t really make any resolutions, but I did decide to continue a new routine I started after Halloween, 13 weeks or 1/4 of a year ago. So here it is one month into the year and I’m already three months into new habits and working steadily towards some rather large goals that will take an unknown amount of time to accomplish.

I thought it would be cool to share some of my accomplishments since I started keeping track on November 1, 2014. During the past 13 weeks…

I have worn a Fitbit device everyday and used the app to record food and physical activity. According to Fitbit, I have taken 350,995 steps, climbed 534 floors, and walked 148.84 miles. That sounds pretty cool. But I was even more excited to figure out that I’ve ridden the exercise bike at home for a total of 43 hours and cycled for over 500 miles! Whoohoo! I’ve also gained muscle, increased flexibility, reduced spasticity, and lost 14.5 pounds in the process!!

I started riding the exercise bike to combat the pain of osteoarthritis (OA) in my knees. At first, I could literally only ride for about 5 minutes. Even this low level of activity would illicit increased spasticity in my legs. My orthopedic doctor is the one who suggested that I ride the bike. We learned in September that I have Grade 2/3 cartilage loss in my left knee. Grade 4 is the worst it gets before surgery is required. He says I will eventually need surgery.

By November, I was able to ride for 15-20 minutes without causing spasticity. Now I’m able to ride 45-50 minutes almost everyday at a speed of about 12-13 miles/hour. I also started physical therapy for my knee and have learned quite a bit about what I need to do to strengthen my leg muscles and maximize flexibility around my joints.

I had to relearn how to control the thigh muscle that lifts the knee cap. The first time my PT asked me to contract that particular muscle, I thought I was doing it, but absolutely nothing happened. There was a complete disconnect between my brain and that one muscle. As a result, my kneecap had become extraordinarily stiff and somewhat frozen in place. No wonder my knee was causing so much pain.

While working with my PT, I discovered that if I took a little bit more medication for spasticity, I experienced less knee pain at night. So an MS symptom, spasticity, was very likely making my OA pain worse. I had not connected the two in my mind.

It still amazes me sometimes how one health issue can sneak around and increase symptoms associated with a different health issue. It becomes rather complicated at times. Nothing occurs in a vacuum.


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Setting Goals: What Are You Doing Today?

Using FitBit to Motivate Behavior Change

What I quickly learned after wearing the device only a few short weeks was that there was NO WAY I was coming close to reaching the 10,000 steps/day that my doctor recommended. Absolutely, no way! Instead I was averaging closer to 2000 steps/day.

In isolation, that information didn’t motivate me to walk more. But then I realized that if I used the device regularly, I could use the information to improve and develop new habits. This may be one of the greater benefits of using tracking devices. In a recent JAMA article, authors state that the power of a wearable technology may not lie in driving health behavioral change, but in facilitating the development of new habits (Patel 2015).

At the end of the 3-week study, participants were allowed to keep the device and I continued to use it. But honestly I didn’t take advantage of all of the accompanying website and mobile application features until after I upgraded my smartphone in the fall. So on Halloween, I weighed myself, began recording everything I ate, documented exercise sessions, and established a weight loss goal in the application.

After some time, I could begin to see patterns in the data collected. I saw the effect of water retention following Rituxan infusions and Thanksgiving in November. I could visualize the impact of traveling on my exercise schedule. After two months, I could also see that weight loss was not as simple as exercising more, eating less, and creating a calorie deficit according to the FitBit data.


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Motivation, Wearable Technology, and Living with MS 

Video Games Can Improve MS Symptoms

Games are fun! Games that help to improve our cognitive skills, manual dexterity, physical abilities, problem-solving skills, creativity, and overall brain health work to keep us flexible in many more ways than one. In our recent discussion of mobile device applications, I didn’t include many games; but there are some great offerings.

Did you know that crossword puzzles help word finding skills, but not memory? Aerobic exercise helps to improve physical fitness and keeps the brain healthier through increased blood flow, which does help to improve memory. Studies have shown that aerobic fitness is associated with healthier gray and white brain matter which helps to reduce long-term disability in MS (Prakash, 2010).

Physical therapy (PT), often combining strength training and flexibility, cardiovascular and endurance exercise, as well as balance and gait training, is a mainstay of treatment for people with multiple sclerosis and other neurological disorders. I can attest that the benefits of PT can be significant and long lasting, but sometimes continuing physical therapy exercise on your own can be less than exciting. As a result, compliance to exercise programs can be difficult even when the benefits are tangible (Mostert, 2002).

Physical therapy can also improve neurological function through neuroplasticity, or brain plasticity, that works as an adaptive mechanism to compensate for lost functions in the event of brain injury or trauma. Neuroplasticity, however, is not a static phenomenon; it changes as different types of plasticity are more active or less prevalent during a person’s lifetime.

At the time I was finally diagnosed with MS, I had lost use of my left hand, arm, and several fingers. During four months of intense physical/occupational therapy, my therapist guided me through very specific and targeted activities and exercises aimed at creating new neural pathways between my hand and my brain in order to regain lost function. She described it as creating a detour and making the detour the permanent road for the electrical messages. That is one form of neuroplasticity.

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Better Balance and Brain Connections Through Playing Video Games

August 2014 Round-Up of MS News and Research

• Decreased sense of smell can be associated with greater disability in MS 
• 11th MS disease-modifying drug approved by the FDA in the US
• Short bouts of moderate-intensity exercise have no significant adverse effect on fatigue, pain, or function in people with MS
• Combination exercise improves MS symptoms and quality of life, but must be continued to maintain benefit
• Other Studies of Interest 

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Hot Topics and MS Research News for August 2014

Contributing to MS Research: Social Determinants of Physical Activity in MS

Participating in the research study has been super easy so far.  Basically I’ve agreed to wear an accelerometer for three 7-day periods of time over the course of one year and to fill-out a battery of questionnaires at specified times.  Eligibility for participation in the study include a diagnosis of relapsing-remitting MS, ability to walk with or without a cane, and age between 18-64 years.  For my contribution to the research project, I will receive up to $30 compensation in the form of gift cards.  (A $10 Starbucks card was included with the study materials for this first 7-day period.)

The purpose of the study (as I understand it) is to examine social cognitive determinants of physical activity in persons with multiple sclerosis.  Many of us living with MS become less active, although we may know that maintaining a certain level of physical activity is good for us.  It not only improves our physical function and contributes to better health, but benefits our overall well-being and health-related quality of life.

What are some of the factors that influence physical activity?  

According to the social cognitive theory (SCT), a theory of social learning, key determinants of physical activity include social/environmental supports, self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and self-regulation.  SCT helps to explain how people acquire and maintain certain behavioral patterns.  SCT argues that individuals who believe they can be physically active (i.e., higher self-efficacy) will expect favorable results from physical activity (i.e., outcome expectations) and will be more likely to implement the self-regulatory behaviors essential to adopting and maintaining an active lifestyle.

I wanted to learn more about social cognitive determinants and previous work of the researchers involved in this particular study, so I conducted a quick search of published articles at NIH’s pubmed.gov.  I had planned to list the studies here, but found at least 170 articles related to MS that Drs. Motl and Chiu had contributed to over the past 10 years, too many to list.

I did learn that in prior studies related to social cognitive determinants of physical activity, researchers found that self-efficacy, functional limitations, and goal setting had statistically significant direct effects on physical activity in persons with MS and may represent modifiable targets for changing physical activity behavior in persons with RRMS (Suh, 2011, 2014; Dlugnomski, 2011).  These papers and a few others that are related to the current study at the University of Illinois are listed at the end of this article.

For more information about the current study I’m participating in, and to ask about how you can contribute, please contact Dr. Chung-Yi Chiu by telephone: (844) 800-9972 or email: mspalog@gmail.com. 

It would be great if we could help Dr. Chiu recruit a large number of MS patients to participate.




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Researchers Recruiting for MS Study: Physical Activity in Persons with MS

Rehabilitation is More Effective Against MS Fatigue

Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) affecting up to 90% of people with MS.  Fatigue has the power to negatively impact any aspect of a person’s life.  The type of fatigue which people with MS experience is often described as a feeling of extreme mental or physical exhaustion.  It can interfere with one’s ability to take care of themselves, function effectively at work, or participate in social activities.

There seems to be no single cause of fatigue in MS, which means that there cannot be only one approach to managing fatigue.  Neurologists will often prescribe medication or recommend rehabilitation (e.g., exercise, energy or fatigue self-management education, and cognitive behavioral therapy) for managing fatigue.  But which approach is more effective?

A number of studies investigating the effects of MS fatigue management strategies exist in the research literature, but until recently there has not been a thorough review comparing the effectiveness of individual types of interventions.  A new review summarizes the available research evaluating three types of fatigue management strategies (exercise, education, and medication) used to target MS fatigue.  Researchers included 25 randomized controlled trials in the review, including 7 medication trials and 18 rehabilitation trials (10 exercise trials and 8 education trials), that involved 1499 people living with MS (Asano et al., 2014).

The goal of the review was to answer the following questions:
    •    How effective are exercise interventions for reducing the impact or severity of self-reported fatigue?
    •    How effective are educational programs for reducing the impact or severity of self-reported fatigue?
    •    How effective are commonly used fatigue medications for reducing the impact or severity of self-reported fatigue?
    •    Are MS fatigue rehabilitation interventions (i.e., exercise and educational programs) more effective than the common MS fatigue medications?

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Exercise, Education, or Medication: Which is Better for MS-Related Fatigue?

April 2014 Round-up of MS News and Research

Highlights of the evidence-based recommendations for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in MS issued by American Academy of Neurology (AAN) include possible effectiveness of different forms of cannabis extracts or synthetic cannabinoids for spasticity symptoms, pain, and urinary frequency; magnetic therapy and ginkgo biloba for fatigue; and reflexology for paresthesia.  Cannabinoids are likely ineffective for short-term spasticity, tremor, and urinary incontinence.  Magnetic therapy is probably ineffective for depression and ginko biloba is ineffective for cognition. Fish oil and bee sting therapies are probably ineffective for relapses, disability, fatigue, MRI lesions, and health-related quality of life (QOL).

A recent study shows that, for many individuals with MS, fatigue is associated with poor sleep quality.  Fatigue is among the most common symptoms of MS, affecting up to 80% of those diagnosed with the disease.  Several factors may contribute to the connection between poor sleep quality and fatigue.  Increased levels of inflammatory cytokines or lesions in the brain may disrupt pathways involved with sleep and daytime alertness.  Sleep apnea, which is common in people with MS, may also result in both fatigue and sleep disruption.  The use of MS disease modifying therapies, particularly beta interferons, may contribute to both fatigue and sleep disturbance. Although depression was associated with both sleep disturbance and fatigue in this study, authors note that exclusion of patients with severe depression and the low incidence of depression in the study participants limits their ability to evaluate a possible connection.

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation cycling benefits people with advanced MS according to a recent study.  Eight women with secondary progressive MS (SPMS) participated in a training program utilizing neuromuscular electrical stimulation (nMES) cycling that resulted in several real and perceived benefits.  Electrodes are placed on the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteal muscles of each leg which allows persons with paralyzed legs to exercise on a stationary recumbent bicycle.  The goal of this study was to investigate the feasibility of adapting nMES cycling to suit the needs of persons with MS. Adaptations included a slower pedaling cadence (at a speed of 10 revolutions/minute) which produces greater muscle forces and a slow, gradual increase in stimulation intensity (pulse amplitude) during the first 20 minutes of each exercise session as patients adjusted to the uncomfortable stimulation.  Study outcomes included the stimulation intensity tolerated, thigh circumference changes, and power output and cardiorespiratory response during cycling. 

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Hot Topics and MS Research News for April 2014

SwimForMS.org: Inspirational Stories and Aquatic Resources from MSAA

 Mary Sypawka, diagnosed with RRMS more than 20 years ago, discovered her passion for water aerobics after retiring early and making herself a priority.  Mary suffered from severe fatigue and found traveling had become difficult.  Not previously a swimmer, Mary began in the pool with water walking and later moved into aerobics.  She says simply that it “helps me feel better and I enjoy meeting people.”

Mary, who began disease-modifying therapy as soon as it was available to her many years ago, believes that staying active has helped her to maintain mobility and limit disease progression.  She is passionate about encouraging others to try the water.  “The hardest part is getting in the pool at first, but once you try it and discover how good it feels, you will probably stick with it.”

Mandy’s journey with MS began with a twitch in her left eye.  While training for a triathlon, she began having trouble running and cycling due to heat sensitivity but found swimming to be “invigorating.”  Only months after her diagnosis, Mandy lost her mother to cancer.  She then discovered that being in the pool allowed her “to grieve more appropriately.”

Mandy joined the Why I Swim campaign specifically to reach out to the newly diagnosed.  She remembers searching the internet and reading all the scary things about MS and facing the “what-if’s”.  Mandy shares her story to let others know “how much better it made me feel and to give hope to people with MS.”  Mandy believes that “just getting in the water at first” is important, but so is working with a health provider to get started.


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Inspirational MS Stories featured in SwimForMS Campaign, Sponsored by MSAA and Genzyme

Newly Diagnosed with MS? What should you do?

As you begin to learn how MS affects you personally, you will discover what strategies help you feel your best.  From day one, you can focus on staying healthy through diet and exercise.  Eating high-quality food, such as cold-water fish (e.g. salmon), fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, and whole grains, while avoiding highly processed foods will provide your body with quality nutrients.  Supplements, such as Vitamin D, can be helpful in combating MS.  Discuss all supplements and medications you take with your neurologist.

Exercise, which can reduce fatigue and help you maintain strength, does not need to be strenuous.  Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise in short sessions, such as five 3- or 4-minute bursts of exercise with 2-minute rest periods in between, can improve fatigue and health-related quality of life (Carter, 2014).  Exercising past the point of fatigue may actually prevent you from sticking with an exercise routine.  Working with a physical therapist who specializes in neurological disorders can be helpful.

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What to do when newly diagnosed with MS

Do You Pace Yourself Regularly?

Rheumatoid arthritis can make activities more difficult to accomplish.  It can cause severe fatigue and pain.  RA can also complicate how you manage to divvy up your time  each day, much less find time to exercise or stay physically active.

In a recent study, researchers in the Netherlands asked the question - “Are people with rheumatoid arthritis who undertake activity pacing at risk of being too physically inactive?”  (Cuperus, 2012). (subscription may be required) 

“Pace Yourself” - That’s what many of our doctors or physical therapists tell us to do.  Stop before you wear yourself out or cause physical injury.  Don’t overdo it.
Sounds good to me.

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Pacing Yourself May Be Harmful For RA Patients, A New Study Suggests