Walking (and other luxuries) – Part 2
Today I wanted to continue comment on walking-as-therapy for recovery. Previously I wrote that I have commenced a program of walking most days of the week, using Austrian hiking poles (sometimes called Nordic poles or more generically trekking poles). These are essentially ultra-light ski poles. I imagine that, like bicycles, the more you pay the lighter they are … and if you’re walking any distance or, like me, walking isn’t easy – then the lighter the better. We’re lucky in my part of the world that the sun is now shining (a bit too much on most days, which is why I walk in the late afternoons) and my poles allow me to go for longish (by my standards) walks – raising a sweat with our appreciative dogs. There are also a number of developments happening around the world into the building of muscle mass and the rewiring of the MS-lesioned-brain to overcome the effects of myelin breakdown. I’ll cover a few here today.
Firstly and fundamentally I reiterate that I follow the concept of neuroplasticity, which has gained traction in recent years to show the brain is able to make new neural pathways to overcome those that are blocked or damaged – and in that regard a recently published book I’d recommend is The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge MD. I also admire the inspirational exercise efforts of people such as Michael Forbes, Lena, Rebecca Hoover and Dr Terry Wahls.
Many other developments are occurring. For instance I see the prestigious McGill University in Canada has a Clinical Trial about to begin on the effectiveness of an “MS tailored exercise program” (MSTEP) in enhancing walking endurance. In the USA the organisation “Project Walk” which usually deals with those affected by severe spinal injuries has a Gait Training Center for Excellence the stated objective of which is to provide advanced functional gait training for people who are moving their legs or are able to walk with or without adaptive aids. In Israel glasses (that look like groovy sunglasses) have been developed to help MS people walk more effectively. They work by virtual reality, putting a black and white grid into the field of vision of the wearer, improving gait as the brain locates and places the feet in the most advantageous position for walking. With continued use the technology allegedly improves walking performance even after the glasses are taken off. On a worthwhile MS blog site called Jeff’s blog I recall reading (but can no longer find) his comment on an electrical orthotic product called Walk-Aide which provides electrical stimulation to the calf muscle on walking, thereby reputedly overcoming foot drop. A story on this particular commercial product – which incidentally was created at Canada’s University of Alberta in Edmonton – aired on a (US) ABC television program in 2008. It is AA battery-operated device about the size of an IPod. It won the US 2007 da Vinci Award, and is said to regenerate communication between the brain and body.
On a much more prosaic note, a UK invention – the MuSmart, the homemade invention of an irrepressible geo-physicist inventor – featured on a BBC-tv program as being an effective, but in this case totally mechanical, means of overcoming footdrop. The device consists of a shoulder harness and an elastic bungee cord which is connected the wearer’s shoe, and the inventor is on record as hoping it will help people with MS and other similar neurological conditions.
Please note I have no link whatsoever to any of these products and cannot vouch for their effectiveness. I merely list them as an overview of the types of developments and ideas which can or might make walking for people with MS a whole lot easier. As for me I continue to mow the lawn (which at the moment is happening too frequently, in the wet season of the subtropics). We’re on a hill, so that can be challenging – but as I’ve said to friends and professionals, the mower comes with a built-in walking frame, so it’s just a question of energy vis-a-vis MS-fatigue and heat, and sometimes breaking the task over 2 or 3 days. And of course I believe I am getting excellent recuperative benefits from those walks (of about 45 minutes) with my daughter’s 2 dogs, the young corgi and the older “intelligence-challenged” boxer. (My apologies to boxer owners everywhere who might be offended by that last gratuitous comment.) 
Next time – in perhaps 2 weeks – I’m toying with the idea of writing about the links between viruses and MS – or about theories of how attitude can help healing generally – or perhaps about books I’ve read and/or would recommend. Until then, my best wishes on your own MS recovery.