As someone has suggested - Tai Chi/Yoga/Pilates will help to tone and stretch muscles and improve core strength - you can get dvd’s to follow that are specially for people with mobility problems. Working with a ‘gym ball’ is also good - in fact you can use one of these to sit on whilst watching tv/working on a pc. lt encourages the stomach/back/thigh muscles to work.
When outdoors - playing with your son - try walking poles. They hold you up well - and do not look like walking sticks or crutches.
l can understand you not wanting to come out with the fact you have MS - at work. Because, hopefully, you will get over this set back and recover from some of your symptoms. But you do have to inform the DVLA if you drive - and your car insurance/holiday insurance/health insurance -
One thing about any exercise - it does give you a ‘feel good factor’ - so good for mind and body.
l have an eliptical trainer and a powergym vibrating machine. 10mins on each everyday has kept me reasonably fit.
I am sorry that you are struggling with walking.
Over the past months I have had a few sessions with a neuro-physio to try to get the most out of the bits of me that work in terms of walking. In my case, I am hoping for some workaround to help deal with permanent damage - it is a very different case from yours in which you are still recovering from a relapse and can hope for things to get miles better naturally, fingers crossed.
She has me doing Pilates-type exercises with the aim of strengthening the core muscles and improving stability overall. She is also great on me trying to walk properly, even for a very short distance (lifting up the foot as far as poss rather than just swinging it round) in the hope that there is scope for strengthening some bits that do work, but that have been underused because of my terrible gait and the fact that it has been like that for years. The exercises are an awful bore, but I have been doing them most days and am definitely starting to feel a little more strong and stable, which is really encouraging. There is a limit to what can be done, given constraints (which is saying something!) but any improvement is welcome…
The point I want to make that might be relevant to your situation is that I wish I had done this years ago. I think that your consultation with a neuro-physio might be really helpful and get you into good core-strengthening exercises now that might really pay dividends in the future. I hope that your recovery from the relapse continues and that you are feeling better soon.
Alison
Thank you. I can only hope that a Neuro will be soon available to help. I see another specialist next week and my GP. So at least I have 2 appointments to keep things moving as it were.