Self-care tips for multiple sclerosis

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Key Takeaways

Seize control of your health

Self-care is about taking responsibility for your own physical and mental wellbeing. While it doesn’t replace medical reviews, staying active and independent will help you feel more empowered and improve your quality of life.

Maintain a healthy lifestyle

There is no specific “MS diet”, but a balanced menu helps manage fatigue and constipation. Regular exercise is also vital; it has been proven to improve strength, mobility, and even bladder function.

Open up to your network

Chronic conditions can strain relationships. Being honest about your feelings and telling loved ones exactly how they can help reduces anxiety for everyone and provides essential emotional support.

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What is self-care?

Self-care includes all that you do to maintain good physical and mental health, enabling you to stay fit to prevent illness or accidents. Even though you may need to adapt your daily life if you are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), with the appropriate care and support, many people lead healthy, active and long lives.

Self-care is an essential part of daily life and by practising it, you take responsibility for your own health and wellbeing. You still need regular reviews with your care team. However, learning to care for yourself will benefit you enormously. It helps you become more active and independent.

Balanced diet

There is not a specific diet that is recognised to slow the progression of MS. Overall healthy and balanced diet can help you manage the unique problems such as fatigue and constipation. Other risk factors leading to health problems, such as heart disease can be reduced by an optimal diet.

Regular exercise

Regular activity is significant for both general health and fitness. Research shows that exercise is very helpful for people with MS. It reduces fatigue and improves your strength. It also helps with mobility and bladder function.

No smoking

Smoking increases the risk of many health conditions. It may also speed up the progress of MS. If you smoke, there are services provided by the NHS in place to help you stop smoking.

Relationships

Living with a long-term condition like multiple sclerosis can cause a strain on you, your family and friends. It may be challenging to talk about your condition with others regardless of how close they are to you. Having to deal with symptoms of MS, such as tremors and increased movement difficulty, can be very frustrating and depressing. Be honest about your feelings and let your loved ones know what they can do to help. This will help alleviate the anxiety from your family and friends or anyone caring for you.

Resources and publications

The MS Society has some helpful resources to order or download on their website that can provide guidance on living with multiple sclerosis.

How can Cavendish Homecare help?

At Cavendish Homecare, we are experts in providing multiple sclerosis homecare for clients who want to remain in their own homes. When it comes to your health and wellbeing, choosing the right homecare package is of utmost importance and navigating this process can be overwhelming. With Cavendish Homecare by your side, you’ll have the support you need to remain safely at home while enjoying elevated health and wellbeing.

If you would like to enquire about our homecare services, contact us on, 02030085210 or email us at info@cavendishhomecare.com.

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