Multiple Sclerosis

Case Description: Pt. is a 54 y/o male with a 20+ year history of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.  He had recently had an exacerbation of his MS that caused him to be basically bed-ridden for several months.  He had been dealing with multiple falls at home and in the community and was very deconditioned.  He was looking for balance training as well as general conditioning in order to improve his quality of life.   

Objective Measures: The patient was seen for 8 physical therapy visits over a 1.5 month period.

Tests and Measures	Initial Evaluation	Day of Discharge from Physical Therapy
Berg Balance Scale	44/56 (requiring assistive device for ambulation)	51/56 (independent community ambulation)
Hip Strength	Grossly 3+ to 4/5	Grossly 5/5
Lower Extremity Functional Scale	9/80 (89% impairment)	29/80 (63.7% impairment)
10x sit to stand test (functional strength/endurance)	34 seconds (very poor control)	24 seconds (with ease)

Summary: The patient was discharged from physical therapy with an advanced HEP  to improve upon his current results.  He concluded his physical therapy with decreased fall risk, improved LE strength, and overall increase in functional strength/endurance.  

Patient Comments at Discharge: “My hips and legs are stronger. My balance has improved so much…Very friendly and kind staff.  There is a level of professionalism I haven’t seen before at PT.  The staff treated me with respect and worked very well with my limitations.”

Sincerely,

Luke Vander Zouwen, DPT
Full Potential Physical Therapy