Three Tips for Working From Home With Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic and progressive disease leading to varying degrees of cognitive impairment and physical disability. Some MS-related changes that affect a person’s ability to do their job could include:

• Cognitive dysfunction such as poor concentration, forgetfulness, and brain fog
• Fatigue
• Physical disabilities and mobility issues (such as drop foot, leg weakness, or muscle spasticity)
• Vision issues

Factors such as work-related stresses may trigger or worsen MS flares, so some people with MS have found that working from home offers a more MS-friendly environment and allows them to accommodate their symptoms with greater ease. Even so, there are a few ways to ensure you optimize your WFH setup. Here are three tips for working from home effectively if you have MS.

#1 Prioritize Accessibility in Your Home Office Setup

Pain (such as the MS hug) and muscle spasticity in the limbs are common when you’re living with MS. Your office setup can make a big difference in how comfortable you feel working with MS. Ensuring your workspace allows you to be as comfortable as possible and to move freely is critical to creating an effective and efficient workspace at home while dealing with pain or decreased mobility. Workplace accommodations are the various adjustments to a role, function, or environment that enables a person with a disability to continue their employment. Working from home, in itself, maybe a workplace accommodation. Beyond that, some workspace adjustments you can make at home include:

• Making sure you’re using an ergonomic chair
• Using a desk that comfortably accommodates a wheelchair, if you use one
• Using modified or alternative keyboards
• Enlarging the text on your computer screen
• Lighting the space well
• Keeping the temperature cool and comfortable

#2 Take Breaks for Movement and Rest

Some of the physical symptoms of MS like spasms, cramping, and muscle stiffness can cause physical discomfort and make it difficult to sit in one position for extended periods. Taking movement breaks can help keep these symptoms in check while you work from home so you can focus on what’s important. Get up and stretch as often as you can — even if you only take a few minutes to reach for your toes. It’s also not uncommon for MS to cause problems with the eyes and vision. Even without MS, a computer screen can be hard on a person’s eyes. If your job entails sitting in front of a computer for hours on end, be mindful of the strain it may cause and remember to take frequent breaks to rest your eyes. Just 30 seconds spent looking away from the screen (by looking out the window, or at a picture across the room) can make all the difference when your eyes are under the strain of both MS and a computer. Technology you can use in a home office can also help you accommodate vision problems while working, including Computer assistive technology, such as speech recognition software or dictation software, or programmable keyboards and keyboard shortcuts.

#3 Work Around Fatigue, not Against It

MS-related fatigue has a huge impact on a person’s ability to do their job. In fact, fatigue is the most commonly cited MS symptom as a barrier to employment. Approximately 50 percent of people with MS list fatigue as a major and debilitating symptom of their condition. The fatigue that so often accompanies MS can disrupt your ability to get your job done. Fatigue tends to worsen towards the middle and end of the day. As it intensifies, fatigue can also contribute to or worsen other symptoms of MS such as brain fog, muscle spasticity, and forgetfulness. Some ways to work around MS-related fatigue or chronic exhaustion caused include:

• Reducing or changing your work hours
• Taking time off when you need to
• Scheduling rest periods
• Conserving your energy throughout the day, such as by keeping everything you need in arm’s reach
• Planning ahead (e.g. meal prepping in advance)

Everyone’s experience living with multiple sclerosis is different. It’s important to remain adaptable and make the appropriate and necessary adjustments your condition needs to enable you to do your work the best way you can. Guest post by Nyaka Mwanza Nyaka Mwanza is a freelance writer for MyHealthTeams. She completed a B.A. in Communications: Visual Media from American University and undertook post-baccalaureate studies in Health/Behavioral Communications and Marketing at Johns Hopkins University. Nyaka is a Zambian-born, E.U. citizen who was raised in sub-Saharan Africa and Jacksonville, N.C. However, she has called Washington, D.C., home for most of her life. For much of her career, Nyaka has worked with large global health nonprofits focused on improving health outcomes for women and children. Nyaka believes words hold immense power, and her job is to meet the reader where they are, when they’re there.

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