Why a Citrus Heights center needs exercise bikes for MS patients. ‘It allows me to keep moving’
Hitting the gym is a good, healthy habit for most people. But for people with multiple sclerosis, which disrupts the central nervous system, exercise is a life-saving necessity.
Providing it is the mission of the John A. Schafer, MD, Multiple Sclerosis Achievement Center in Citrus Heights. The center is not only a lifeline for those living with MS, but a life-enhancer for its 75 clients, and its staff as well.
The center focuses on keeping the muscles of its clients in good shape while also offering nutritional counseling and mental sharpening exercises — all while promoting a social atmosphere that has kept some people coming back for years.
Some clients call it MSAC, or the MS Center, and most agree that it’s the best part of their week. Clients visit once a week, and on any Tuesday through Friday, 10 to 18 people are there. Mondays are reserved for field trips and off-site recreational activities.
Hideko Yamada, 66, was among the clients working out thererecently, using the center’s lower extremity bike. She seemed to be one with the machine, keeping a steady pace while conversing. “I think I had MS a long time, but it wasn’t something that anyone talked about when I was growing up in Japan,” she said.
She said she started feeling what she now recognizes as symptoms of the disease when she was in junior high school. Yamada started coming to the center about eight years ago when she was finally diagnosed with MS.
“It motivates me,” she said of MSAC. “The cognitive classes are great, too.”
Dabbing the moisture gathering near her graying hairline, she continued to pedal, her trusty upright walker with hand brakes standing nearby. “I love it,” she said. “It allows me to keep moving.”
She said she enjoys the bike, but it is nearing the end of its days and can no longer be repaired. That’s why this year the center hopes readers of The Bee’s Book of Dreams holiday giving effort can contribute funds to help purchase a new one and also a new recumbent elliptical bike, which is so popular that clients often need to wait 20 minutes or more to get a turn. Together, the two new bikes cost about $15,000.
‘I have to stay healthy to take care of my kids’
On a recent morning, Arienne Holmes, 42, was pedaling away on the elliptical bike. She was diagnosed first with transverse myelitis, an inflammation of the spinal cord, at age 26. That disease shares many of the symptoms associated with MS, such as fatigue, mobility issues and pain. But as her symptoms persisted, her disease was reclassified as MS, and she started coming weekly to the center seven years ago.
“I’m a single mother and I have to stay healthy to take care of my kids,” Holmes said. “Here, they focus on well-rounded healing, and give everyone a lot of support, no matter what you need.”
She had to take a leave from her finance job at PG&E because the therapy takes most of the day, and the center is not open on weekends.
The center is named after Schafer, a retired neurologist and longtime MS specialist. In 2013, he put together a team and applied for, and received, a large grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to open the multifaceted facility, with ongoing support through the Mercy Foundation.
Schafer said the center is unique in Northern California, “and one of only four or five nationally that offer our range of activities and socialization opportunities.”
Center creates community
Schafer discovered while treating mostly MS patients for more than 10 years that he was dealing with “a very isolating disease.” The greatest value of the center is creating a community where people don’t have to explain over and over what their disease is and also where they can share tips and receive support, he said.
Schafer still gives talks about the common problems that beset the estimated million people who have MS in the U.S. and he provides updates on research and findings about the disease.
Maria Shields, 59, appreciates the center’s multifaceted approach to wellness. When the former KCRA executive assistant was first diagnosed with MS 20 years ago, she started running, then jogging. But eventually, even walking short distances became too much for her weakening muscles. She started coming to the center about a year ago and enjoys working out on the recumbent elliptical bike.
“This place is great, and not just for the specialized equipment and exercise, Shields said. “They help me plan and improve my diet, and they work to get you the adaptive equipment you need at home as well.” She said she especially enjoys the Monday outings and community events.
Although the center is adept at keeping its clients healthy and active, there are “no (procedural) codes for what we do here,” said Tiffany Malone, director of clinic operations, explaining why none of its services is covered by health insurance. “Everyone who comes here pays something; we have a sliding scale so that it’s affordable for all.”
With more people being diagnosed with MS, having even one piece of equipment wear out can be a crisis for this group.
The recumbent bike is irreparable and must be replaced. And with high demand for the specialized recumbent elliptical causing long waits, staff and clients say they sure could use an extra one of those.
The elliptical works both the legs and arms at the same time, with the adaptive advantage of allowing a client who may not be able to stand independently to get aerobic exercise while seated.
“We get clients from all the health systems in the area, Kaiser, Sutter and of course Dignity Health, and people with MS can self-refer as well, since we are not rehab,” said Malone, who has worked at the center for 10 years. “To keep the fees reasonable, we try to raise outside money to replace equipment, so we don’t have to increase fees for those who need this help.”
Book of Dreams
The request: Purchase of two pieces of exercise equipment for people with MS at the John A. Schafer, MD, Multiple Sclerosis Achievement Center
The cost: $15,000
This story was originally published November 29, 2024 at 5:00 AM.