AQUATIC THERAPY FOR M.S. PATIENTS

This study reviews the literature on Aquatic Therapy and its general effects on patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in order to evaluate the effectiveness of this form of rehabilitation for MS patients. So that the study may be fully understood, some background is needed regarding MS. This background is provided here with a discussion of the basic nature of the disease and its symptoms, its probable causes, its diagnosis, and general treatment.

The nature of MS has been discussed by Giovannoni and Miller (1999) who state that MS is one of the most common diseases of the central nervous system in young adults. Sclerosis are "scars" such as plaques or lesions in the brain and spinal cord. The condition is, according to Giovannoni and Miller, best defined as a progressive disease in which scattered patches of the protective myelin covering of the nerve fibers in the central nervous system (brain and spine) are damaged or destroyed. Inflammation and loss of myelin causes disruption to nerve transmission and affects many functions of the body.

While there are some relatively common symptoms associated with MS (e.g., difficulty in walking, abnormal sensations such as numbness or a feeling of "pins and needles," and pain and loss of vision due to inflammation of the optic nerve), other symptoms can include: tremor, incoordination, slurred speech, sudden onset of paral

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and Peripheral Nervous Systems. In general, these include a relaxation of the body and mind and a reduction in pain perception---an effect believed to be due to some change that takes place in the reticular activating system within the brain in association with immersion in water. The claim, however, that Aquatic Therapy will produce positive benefits for any patient with any condition must be considered somewhat overly broad. For example, Pantanella (1999) lists a number of factors that contraindicate Aquatic Therapy including having a high fever, the presence of open sores on the body, being diagnosed with AIDS, and so forth. It is also noted that for patients with MS, a physical therapist would do well to consult with the patient's physician before using an Aquatic Therapy program. Further, it is noted that since heat can exacerbate MS, if the program is used, there should be efforts to make sure that the water is not hotter than 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Another consideration that should be kept in mind in terms of determining whether an MS patient would benefit from Aquatic Therapy is the degree of which his or her condition is associated with impairment of function. Most Aquatic Therapy is aimed at helping people wit
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Approximate Word count = 7155
Approximate Pages = 29 (250 words per page)