Multiple Sclerosis Management: 6 Lifestyle Recommendations for Living Well

August 18, 2026

By Barbara Giesser, MD, FAAN, FANA, Dipl. ABLM.

For these dwelling with a number of sclerosis (MS), illness administration takes a three-pronged strategy and emphasizes the significance of six way of life selections as a key to mind well being and dwelling nicely.

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The Holistic Approach to Managing Multiple Sclerosis

Lifestyle selections are vital for all of us, and for folks with a number of sclerosis that is very true as they’re a part of the three pillars of managing the illness and dwelling nicely with MS.

The three pillars are:

• Disease modifying therapies (DMTs) assist to lower future nerve harm.
• Symptom administration helps folks with MS really feel and performance higher.
• Evidence-based wholesome way of life suggestions.

6 Lifestyle Recommendations for Managing MS

Here we focus on the six pillars of mind well being, and the way these may also help folks with MS really feel and performance their greatest.

The six pillars of mind well being are:

1. Diet & diet
2. Exercise
3. Sleep
4. Stress administration
5. Social connection
6. Avoiding dangerous substances

Diet & Nutrition

We know that there’s loads of details about food regimen and MS and sadly there are some misconceptions.

There is nobody MS food regimen, and there’s no one meals group that has been definitively proven to assist or harm MS. We additionally know that no food regimen has been proven to have illness modifying results for MS, so MS can’t be managed with food regimen alone. However, as is the case for everyone, a nutritious diet can actually assist you to really feel and performance your greatest, and it could influence different medical circumstances corresponding to diabetes, excessive ldl cholesterol or coronary heart illness. Aim for a plant ahead food regimen with lean proteins, complete grains, good fat, and keep away from ultra-processed meals and saturated fats.

Fruits & Vegetables: We typically advise folks with MS to emphasise a plant-forward food regimen— that means a food regimen that’s heavy in colourful vegatables and fruits, complete grains, lean proteins, and good fat. There are some research that recommend that individuals who eat a more healthy food regimen could have much less incapacity. We additionally know {that a} nutritious diet could modify another medical circumstances corresponding to diabetes and excessive ldl cholesterol. We additionally know that when folks with MS have these different medical circumstances, they have a tendency to perform a little worse, so a nutritious diet could not directly profit folks with MS by managing these different medical circumstances.

Good Fats: We encourage using good fat. These are liquid at room temperature and examples embrace olive oil and avocado oil. By distinction, a foul fats is what we name a saturated fats which is strong at room temperature. So that features butter, lard, and even some plant-based fat corresponding to coconut oil. We recommend that folks keep away from saturated fat as they’re thought to advertise irritation.

Avoid Ultra-processed Foods: The principal kind of meals that we ask folks to restrict are what we name ultra-processed meals. Apart from uncooked meals, all of the meals we eat is processed not directly. It’s both cooked or bodily modified. An ultra-processed meals nevertheless is usually a meals that has important quantities of chemical components, salt and sugar. It doesn’t imply you could by no means have an ultra-processed meals merchandise however do attempt to restrict them.

Exercise

Not solely can folks with MS tolerate and profit from train, we now know that it is vitally, good for them. Data recommend that train could also be anti-inflammatory. In addition, we’ve many a long time of information displaying that train and bodily exercise can:

• Improve power and mobility
• Decrease fatigue
• Improve temper and reduce spasticity

When we are saying train, we additionally embrace bodily exercise. What’s the distinction?

• Exercise is usually outlined as a structured, repetitive movement corresponding to, strolling, jogging or hand biking for those who’re not cell.
• Physical exercise is any motion that includes giant muscle teams. It contains issues corresponding to housekeeping, strolling the canine, or chasing after a 2-year-old!

We encourage every kind of train. General tips which apply to most individuals, are at the very least 150 minutes every week of train and/or bodily exercise.

Ideally, we like to speak about incorporating various kinds of train and bodily exercise. We encourage folks to attempt to obtain a combination.

• Aerobic exercise will increase your coronary heart fee.
• Resistance coaching a couple of days every week may embrace weightlifting or resistance bands.
• Stretching is vital. Nobody stretches sufficient, together with me, and we must always all stretch at the very least as soon as a day.
• Neuromotor engagement or twin tasking engages your thoughts and your muscle mass on the identical time. Good examples of this contains sure types of dancing and tai chi.

So, train actually is the magic bullet addressing a variety of issues.

Sleep

Sleep problems are extra widespread amongst folks with a number of sclerosis than the final inhabitants. General suggestions for most individuals are roughly seven to eight hours of restful sleep per evening. Primary sleep problems, that are sleep issues that aren’t as a consequence of one other trigger disproportionately have an effect on folks with MS. These embrace:

• Insomnia: Affects at the very least 40% of individuals with MS, making it one of the vital frequent complaints.
• Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS): Individuals with MS are at the very least thrice extra prone to expertise RLS in comparison with the final inhabitants.
• Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA): Estimated to influence 20% to 50% of individuals with MS.

The contributing elements explicit to folks with MS embrace:

• Brain and spinal wire lesions: Damage to particular areas just like the brainstem or spinal wire can straight disrupt the physique’s sleep-wake cycles and respiratory management throughout sleep.
• Secondary signs: Chronic points like ache, muscle spasticity, bladder dysfunction, despair, and nervousness continuously wake sufferers or stop restful sleep.
• Medication negative effects: Certain symptom-management medicine could intervene with regular sleep patterns.

We attempt to handle the underlying causes to encourage an excellent evening’s sleep.

Stress Management

Unfortunately, we’re all too pressured. We all have a number of private {and professional} life stresses which may take their toll. There aren’t any conclusive knowledge suggesting that if an individual with MS will get pressured it causes extra nerve harm. But we actually have seen folks with MS have some symptom flare up after they get pressured. So, consistent with dwelling nicely, we encourage stress administration together with deep respiration methods and meditation practices.

Social Connection

The National MS Society likes to say, “When MS short circuits you, the society helps you connect.” And we predict that’s an apt saying. We know that folks with MS could are likely to turn out to be remoted and will not have as a lot social connection as they want.

Social connection is vital for all of us, so it’s vital to have a help system together with household, buddies or non secular teams or organizations. We actually encourage folks to have social connection which may be by train, partaking in a passion, speaking to a good friend, and typically together with skilled counseling.

Avoiding Harmful Substances

The most dangerous factor that an individual with MS can do is smoke. We know that smoking something causes irritation within the lungs, and this contains vaping.

Smoking is among the only a few issues that we inform folks with MS has an absolute zero tolerance coverage. Additionally, smoking is linked to different medical circumstances corresponding to lung most cancers, emphysema, and coronary heart illness.

High quantities of alcohol are usually not good for anyone. And in folks with MS, alcohol can actually trigger incoordination and stability issues and exacerbate different signs. Low alcohol consumption, which is roughly 4 drinks or much less/week for girls, and seven drinks or much less per week for males could also be acceptable for many individuals with MS.

While some hashish extracts, e.g. CBD or THC taken orally or topically could also be helpful for treating some MS signs corresponding to spasticity, smoking hashish is discouraged. Additionally, heavy hashish use has been linked to cognitive impairment in some research.

Incorporating Brain Wellness & Lifestyle Interventions

Now greater than ever, folks with MS can reside nicely. The three pillars of managing MS and dwelling nicely with MS are illness modifying remedy, symptom administration, and way of life selections.

The Brain Wellness & Lifestyle Program at Pacific Neuroscience Institute presents ongoing help by particular person and small group periods, offering individualized way of life intervention suggestions.

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