BATAVIA, N.Y. — In December of 2018, Batavia's Gretchen Hawley was treating patients with multiple sclerosis at a physical therapy office.
"Within treating my first two clients, I realized how different MS was for each individual person," Hawley said.
MS doesn't allow your brain to tell the rest of your muscles how to move.
Though Hawley says everyone experiences different symptom, some can include a sudden change in vision, weakness, tripping, poor balance and fatigue.
Hawley says Syracuse has the highest rates for MS across the country, with Western New York at number three.
"Diagnosis is getting better, but one of the highest risk factors for MS is low vitamin D levels, which is very popular here. Also, being around industrial toxins can be a risk factor too," Hawley said.
Once people are diagnosed, they need to exercise. That's where Hawley noticed a few things were missing.
She says there are very few physical therapists who specialize in MS therapy.
"Orthopedic or traditional PT is very different from MS specific PT," Hawley said.
She says MS patients would also get fatigued driving so far to an appointment.
"They weren't able to get to the clinic frequently enough to reap the benefits," Hawley said.
So she left her job and started "the MSing Link," an online wellness program.
"Because it's online, it quickly transformed into this worldwide program to help people with MS," Hawley said.
Hawley has patients in 13 countries and all across the states, including Bree Spitzer, who's in California.
"Twenty-two years ago, there were only a few different things you could do, and they didn't really work that well at the time. Now they're just coming out with new things so there's hope on the horizon," Spritzer said.
It's hope that Hawley also spreads to patients and other health care providers on social media.
"Neuroplasticity is the ability of your brain to find those new neural pathways," Hawley said. "That's why people with MS can get stronger and improve their balance."
So life can get better with a diagnosis, you just have to find the right person to help.