Looking Good
One thing that someone with multiple sclerosis (MS) will encounter are the many times they will hear "you sure look good" or "you don't look sick." Unless there are parts of you that physically are not functioning well, such as your walking or tremors, your disease will probably go unnoticed. You may notice that when someone finds out that you have MS, they may look at you as if there's nothing wrong since you don't look "sick". What does "sick" look like? What does a disability look like?

Many people tend to consider a disability a condition that you must look disabled to be disabled. These preconceptions tend to go away once everything about MS is explained and they begin to realize that what they see isn't the disease but rather the person.

A person doesn't "look good" or "not look good" just because they may or may not have MS. What makes a person "look good" comes from what's inside of them, such as being happy, thoughtful, kind, giving, and so forth.

If there are physical signs of disability, often a bit of rehabilitation can help you compensate for what has been lost. It needs to be understood that rehabilitation probably can't bring back what MS has taken away from you, but it can teach you new ways of doing life's little tasks.
Rehabilitation
When issues begin to arise regarding parts of your body not working as they are intended to, then you need to look into fixing the problem. When basic exercise is not the answer, then a specific type of therapy or rehabilitation may be the answer. With so many issues that can arise with MS, there is probably a therapy that is specific to your needs. The main goal here is to regain or maintain what has been lost due to the loss of myelin.

Comprehensive multidisciplinary rehabilitation and specific treatment options are both usually necessary. Even though rehabilitation has no direct influence on disease progression, studies to date have shown that this type of intervention improves personal activities and ability to participate in social activities, thereby improving quality of life. Treatment strictly by medication is typically not the answer.

Physical Therapy (PT)

A physical therapist will be able to target issues of your body's ability to move and function. Whether it happens to be difficulty walking, standing, holding, general stiffness, or a number of other issues, a good physical therapist can get you "back on your feet" and hopefully allow you to regain some physical control of your body. As the old saying goes, "use it or loose it" still applies here. If you don't stay as active as you can, you will begin to loose addition function, not because of MS but rather from complacency. You will also find that you may not be able to regain all of a lost function, but possibly enough to maintain your independence.

Problems with gait or difficulty in walking, are among the most common mobility limitations in MS. Physical Therapy can be one of the best ways to overcome some of what's become limited.

Physical limitations related to:
Weakness
Muscle weakness is a common cause of gait difficulty. Weakness can cause problems such as toe drag, foot drop, vaulting, compensatory hip hike, trunk lean, or circumduction. Weakness can often be compensated for with the use of appropriate exercises and assistive devices, including braces, canes or walkers.
Spasticity
Muscle tightness or spasticity can also interfere with gait. Stretching exercises and antispasticity medications such as baclofen or tizanidine are generally effective in treating this symptom.
Loss of Balance
Balance problems typically result in a swaying and “drunken” type of gait known as ataxia. People with severe ataxia generally benefit from the use of an assistive device.
Sensory Deficit
Some people with MS have such severe numbness in their feet that they cannot feel the floor or know where their feet are. This is referred to as a sensory ataxia.
Fatigue
Many people will experience increased gait problems when fatigue increases.

Speech and Swallowing Problems

A speech and language pathologist can work with you on problems regarding speech and/or swallowing. Speech can easily be lost or garbled when facial muscles are affected, whether on one or both sides of the face. Swallowing can become more difficult when the muscles around the throat are affected, causing possible gagging or choking which can become a safety concern. Through proper work, it's possible to regain some lost muscle control or compensate with other facial or throat muscles that are not affected.

Occupational Therapy (OT)

Occupational Therapy can work with you in those areas that affect your safety in personal care and at work. They can assist at home and at work so that either is more accessible and easier to work at. They can also provide tools to aid or assist you with various tasks.

Cognitive Therapy

Most of the therapists and pathologists listed here can also work with you in any difficulties in thinking, reasoning, concentration, and memory. Some of these issues can also be caused by medications taken to treat other symptoms, and this must also be explored. Just know that if you have always had a difficult time remembering where you put the car keys, MS is probably not a fault for that. You can blame any other issues on something else like age or a spouse.