A Cane Can Help in the Battle Against MS

By Gary Chester

2 min read

My wife says I am very competitive. In tennis, in board games, and even when we watch "Jeopardy!" She’s right. My brother and I were both raised with an eye towards competitive sports and to excel in school, and the urge to be our best is ingrained.

It’s an everyday battle

Life has become more stressful for everyone since the COVID-19 outbreak. Combined with stress from other sources, my wife Cathy’s otherwise steady condition has slipped over the last few years. She is able to take it in stride, and I try to be a good husband and care partner when it gets the best of her.

We are blessed to be able to take a nature walk together on most days. I am happy to hold her hand both out of affection and to help her maintain balance. One of our favorite activities on our walks is to activate the “Merlin” app on our phones that identifies the calls of the various birds we hear on our little journey.

We also use an app to count our steps. To take more than 3,000 steps on our walk is an excellent achievement and good for our health. But that is not every day, because MS is so unpredictable.

A great physical therapist can help

Using a cane is part of the battle against MS. It enables patients to walk, which is a cornerstone of independence. It can also reduce one’s fear of falling.

Another weapon against MS can be physical therapy. Cathy just completed a course of several months, and she was fortunate to have a therapist who was trained to work with MS patients. Sometimes when we walk and I let go of her hand to use my phone, Cathy keeps walking on her own for a pretty good distance.

This would not have been possible without an expert physical therapist assisting her.

What else can help, too

Walking and doing light exercises in the gym or at home can be tools to fight the effects of MS. For many, swimming or aquatic exercise classes may work, too.¹

Also important is the patient’s state of mind. Being able to walk or swim can be uplifting to those who are unable to do some activities that they enjoyed before being diagnosed.

As for the cane, I hope Cathy needs to use it infrequently. But it is there to help her engage in everyday activities and to prevent her from falling. And to figuratively bash MS on the head.

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txo6qm Member
It’s insulting that you think people who use assistive devices e.g. canes,walkers,wheelchairs,scooters etc. is regression. MS is a neurodegenerative disease and often results in mobility impairment with time. It’s not a lack of effort that results in using such aids but a realization that such devices can improve quality of life - it’s better than using all one’s energy to get around or worse yet falling. If one does not need to use a mobility aid they should consider themselves lucky. 
1. Alene L. Brennan, RYT Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention username="txo6qm" user-id="4087500"/> thank you for voicing this important point. I'm sorry to hear that the message in this article came across in anything other than a supportive way. That is never the intention of our articles or conversations. It is true that assistive devises can improve quality of life and enable one to participate in more of life's activities. Thank you for again for voicing this perspective. Best Alene, moderator 
2. Therry Neilsen Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention username="txo6qm" user-id="4087500"/> I hear you! I feel like the days I use my cane I am not walking into walls and other barriers and I am definitely conserving strength and brain power and attention to use in other more creative and rewarding ways. Your comment makes that clear, and thanks for posting it. Therry, a Team Member
Gary Chester Member
I think that some have misunderstood the gist of the article, which is one's battle with MS. As I re-read my post, I realized that I should have never used the term "regression" because I meant "progression" of Cathy's MS. Certainly we can all agree that disease progression is undesirable. If you substitute progression for regression, I hope it relieves the frustration of those who took some offense to the post. Regardless, the last two sentences indicate that I did not intend to demean anyone who needs assistance: "But it [the cane] is there to help her engage in everyday activities and to prevent her from falling. And to figuratively bash MS on the head." Thank you for your interest!
Therry Neilsen Moderator & Contributor
Gary, I reread the article and and it was your last sentence that should have obviated my difficulty. Whenever I try out a new cane or forearm crutch, my personal choice of assistive device because it's easier on the wrist, I always try using it as a weapon. Whether I'm bashing my 45 years of living with MS, the weather, or some twit who makes a dim remark, literally bashing is much better and lots more fun! Thanks for your comment as well, and love to you and Cathy. Therry, a Team Member
Gary Chester Member
Thank you , Therry. Keep bashing!