Promoting Early Rehabilitation and Wellness for Patients With Multiple Sclerosis: Kathy Zackowski, PhD, OTR

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"We're just trying to really encourage the providers to be aware of this, that there is a whole rehab team that has expertise in these areas and addressing them early gives everyone a baseline of information."

Research indicates that rehabilitation therapy is a valuable component of care for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic, debilitating disease marked by the demyelination of central nervous system nerves. Rehabilitation therapy helps patients regain or maintain function and enhances their physical, mental, and social well-being.¹ Various forms of rehabilitation therapy are available, including physical rehabilitation methods like balance and gait therapy, speech and respiration rehabilitation, and occupational therapy.

Studies show that the composition of the care team can significantly influence patient outcomes, and both inpatient and outpatient care settings can be beneficial, depending on the patient's needs. Clinicians recommend that patients have a multidisciplinary care team for rehabilitation and undergo regular reassessments to manage evolving symptoms. Research has highlighted the essential components of rehabilitation, which include patient participation in treatment, goal setting with a multidisciplinary care team, and a guiding purpose for the patient that focuses on recognizing their potential and achieving improvements through a personalized plan.¹

Kathy Zackowski, PhD, OTR, associate vice president of research at National MS Society, presented on assessment tools for physical medicine and rehabilitation in occupational therapy at the 2024 Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) Annual Meeting, held May 29 to June 1, in Nashville, Tennessee. At the meeting, Zackowski sat down in an interview with NeurologyLive^® to discuss the key differences between rehabilitation and wellness in the context of MS care. She also talked about how interdisciplinary care contributes to the overall well-being of patients with MS. Moreover, Zackowski spoke about some of the specific lifestyle factors being studied by the National MS Society’s wellness research working group.

Click here for more coverage of CMSC 2024.

REFERENCES
1. Iodice R, Aceto G, Ruggiero L, Cassano E, Manganelli F, Dubbioso R. A review of current rehabilitation practices and their benefits in patients with multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2023;69:104460. doi:10.1016/j.msard.2022.104460