Library Articles

Conserving Energy While Doing Your Everyday Chores

By: Rosalind Kalb, PhD, Peer Reviewed By: Stephanie Nolan, OTR/L

Chores – whether the indoor or outdoor kind – can sap your energy to the point that there’s not much left for the fun stuff. Think bed-making, vacuuming, laundry sorting, grocery shopping, lawn mowing, snow shoveling – and you’ll agree that nothing takes more out of you than these necessary chores. 

Solving The Puzzle of MS Fatigue

By: Rosalind Kalb, PhD

Fatigue is a reality when you live with MS, but there are ways to solve the puzzle! You can reduce that fatigue, manage the energy you have more effectively, and get the things done that matter to you. 

Fatigue, Pain, Depression, Cognitive Changes: Invisible Symptoms of MS

By: Matthew Sacco, PhD, Tracy Walker, FNP-C, WOCN

Can MS be invisible?

With symptoms like fatigue, depression, and cognitive dysfunction, many people with MS are fighting battles that others can’t see. How do you manage these symptoms? Why do they occur? And what do you do when other people are saying to you, “But you look so good!”?

Managing MS Fatigue and Sleep During A Crisis: COVID-19 and Beyond

By: Abbey Hughes, PhD and Stephanie Singleton, OTR/L

Over a few short weeks, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has become a constant presence in our lives. We have experienced rapid shifts in our daily activities, including how we work, socialize, exercise, eat, pray, receive medical care, and care for others. Fatigue and sleep disturbance are common in MS and can worsen during periods of stress.

Tired of Being Tired? Tips, Tools, and Techniques to Keep You Going

By: Juliann Hanson-Zlatev, OTR and Patty Bobryk, MHS, PT, MSCS, ATP

Many people find fatigue to be one of the most complex and challenging of the symptoms they face with MS. It is often called an “invisible” symptom since it cannot be seen on its own. To make matters worse, friends, family, and associates may not understand the severity of MS fatigue and expect you to simply “push through it.”

Fatigue Management

By: Can Do Multiple Sclerosis

Managing a hectic schedule can be a very daunting task. As our lives get busier we have to take into consideration many more factors. Organization and time management become essential to ‘getting everything done’.

Coping With Invisible MS Symptoms

By: Allison Shadday, LCSW, Can Do MS Programs Consultant

How do you cope with something that you can’t see? For many of us, dealing with the invisible symptoms of MS can be extremely challenging. Issues with fatigue, depression, cognition, intimacy and self-esteem often go undiagnosed, under treated and misunderstood.

Cooling Techniques & Devices

By: Beth Bullard, OTR, Can Do MS Programs Consultant

Around 60-80% of individuals living with M.S. experience heat intolerance, particularly during the warmer summer months. Simply explained, when the body’s temperature elevates nerve conduction is slowed or blocked causing a temporary worsening of symptoms. The effects are as unique as we are with each individual having their own threshold and response to heat and humidity. It is important to note, heat does not cause an exacerbation of the disease process. The effects are temporary with symptoms returning to their normal level as the body cools.