Happy MS Awareness Week! If you’re reading this, odds are that you know someone living with multiple sclerosis or you yourself are fighting this terrible disease. There are roughly 2.5 million people in the world living with MS. At The Recovery Project, we are proud to rally behind our clients who never give up their fight against MS. We also unite with The National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) and are proud to be a Partner in MS Care with the NMSS. The Recovery Project is the only rehabilitation provider in the state of Michigan that is a Partner in MS Care with the society. We thank and honor them for everything they do and have done over the last 75 years, to one day create a world free of MS.

There is so much to be hopeful for with respect to progress in fighting this disease. Through years of research, we now know that “nervous system repair” is possible. We know that “neuroplasticity” exists and through exercise and functional electrical stimulation, we are able to “rewire” the brain and create new motor pathways, which can ultimately improve one’s functional abilities. We also know that people living with MS should participate in aggressive and focused neurologic rehabilitation. Research states that people with MS should complete 150 minutes/week or more of exercise or physical activity. To some, going to the gym and hopping on a stationary bike for an hour sounds daunting and exhausting. Please remember that these minutes can be achieved through lifestyle physical activities that bring you joy, such as gardening, going for a walk with a friend, or playing with your kids or grandkids. The positive impact of such activities on physical and mental health is incalculable.

Emilee Bohde PT, DPT