Neuro Note #2 | Dr. Terry Wahls | Multiple Sclerosis

Dr. Terry Wahls | Revitalize | How I Went From a Wheelchair To Walking By Changing My Diet | MindBodyGreen 

This talk is done by Dr. Wahls who is a physician. She was diagnosed with MS and eventually got to the point where she couldn't walk. She was only able to ambulate if she used forearm crutches or if she was in a zero gravity chair. She began taking MS medications and seeing the best possible physicians out there who specialized in treating  MS (Cleveland Clinic). She eventually kept getting worse even seeing the best physicians and taking the best medications out there possible. She was progressed to secondary progressive MS. During her time, she reflected on her own health and realized that there could be changes made within her own life. She turned to a holistic (shout out OT!), and naturalistic way of treating her own diagnosis. She stopped eating processed foods and gluten, she turned to organic foods, household and self-care products, and really honed in on what food groups provide the best nutrients and enzymes. She began using this method by only using those natural products and earthy foods and only at 9 cups a day of leafy greens, sulfur rich foods, dark colored vegetables, and seaweed. These are enzyme and nutrient rich foods that have been proven to be what our brain needs to thrive and what our body needs to function at a maximal healthy capacity. Aside from these things, she began to exercise (even if only for 5-10 minutes) while also using electric stimulation to keep her muscles engaged. With the combination of going organic, eating the "Wahl's Diet" and exercising, she was able to reverse the symptoms of her MS and eventually was able to stop taking medication. After one year, she went from using a zero gravity chair, to biking 18 miles on a world tour all due to her lifestyle changes.

This inspiring story furthered my learning in the sense that a holistic approach can be done in many aspects, not just occupational therapy. No matter what client I work with everyday, this knowledge will be something I never forget, and incorporate in my own interventions in the future. Lifestyle changes is sometimes the best "medication" you could possibly give someone.

I chose this due to the prevalence of MS and the importance of symptom treatment. Using the knowledge I have gained from this video will really impact the way I can treat, and implement intervention, the clients I will have with MS in the future.

Dr. Wahls used the term secondary progressive MS in her video. This ties directly into the curriculum of OT 537.  Having this knowledge about the stages of MS helped me picture exactly what Dr. Wahls was not only talking about, but also experiencing. I know that in the future I can use her personal experience to tie into what I have gained from OT 537 and apply it in the future as an occupational therapy practitioner.

I highly recommend this video to anyone who is dealing with any health condition, not only a neurological condition. Having a lifestyle change can benefit anyone, especially with the prevention of future health complications.

Image result for Dr. Terry Wahls

Pictured above: Dr. Terry Wahls | Professor of Medicine, University of Iowa

Mindbodygreen. (2015, February 12). Dr. Terry Wahls | Revitalize | How I Went From Wheelchair To Walking By Changing My Diet. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJT4gRUlpkc 

Photo retrieved from: https://terrywahls.com/press/ 

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