53 msfocusmagazine.org we can improve energy levels for many, but we are always in search of better options. The use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) may be one of those options. While it sounds like a bad science experiment, this study shows that tDCS may be a safe and effective way of helping people with MS battle fatigue. Resistance training may slow down MS progression A new study shows resistance training may protect the nervous system and thus slow the progression of multiple sclerosis. The researchers, however, stress the aim is not to replace medication with physical training. The findings were published in Multiple Sclerosis Journal. Dr. Thrower: The medical community has evolved drastically over the decades in how we think about exercise for people with MS. Even into the 1980s, some healthcare providers were discouraging people with MS from exercising for fear it might worsen their MS or use up what little energy they had. Slowly, things have shifted to the idea that exercise is “okay” for people with MS, to the radical notion that exercise is actually good for people with MS. Much of the research on exerciseinMShasfocusedontheimprovement of daily activities, walking ability, mood, and fatigue. What if exercise can do more than that for a person with MS? This small study shows that brain atrophy was slower in the group that did resistance training twiceweekly. To bolster this idea, another article from Cytokine in October 2017, summarized that strenuous exercise was associated with a downregulation of inflammatory cytokines (chemical messengers) produced by certain T-cells. Obviously, the best form of exercise for a person with MS is going to vary. If possible, work with a physical therapist or exercise physiologist to come up with a plan that is right for you.