March 6, 2017 Columns by admin MS Patientās Pick of the Weekās News: #MySupportHero, Awareness Video, Mind and Mobility, Seizures, Acthar Gel Hereās my Pick of the Weekās News, as published in Multiple Sclerosis News Today. MS Organizations Join #MySupportHero Initiative to Help Patients Salute Those Who Care Oh, I can see me fitting in well here. To see what I mean, just take a look at two previous…
March 3, 2017 Columns by Jamie Hughes Play On: What Baseball Has Taught Me About MS When people ask me what I love, I usually respond, āGod, my family, and St. Louis Cardinals baseball ⦠in that order.ā Other than the Razorbacks, Arkansas (my home state) doesnāt have much in the way of athletic bragging rights. Both when I was a kid and now,…
March 3, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias Improving ‘Workability’ for MS Patients: A European Point of View You probably talk about multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms, drugs and therapies when you meet with your neurologist, but I’ll bet that most people don’t talk very much about working. Being able to work, and continuing to hold down a job, is important. I see concerns about this all…
March 2, 2017 Columns by Laura Kolaczkowski Which Improvements in Healthcare Would MS Advocates Like to See? I was in Washington, D.C. for a meeting, and had the opportunity to dine with some fellow multiple sclerosis advocates. I thought it might be of interest to get their take on the most pressing issues of 2017 for people living with MS. I wasnāt sure what to…
March 2, 2017 Columns by admin Ocrevus: Counting Down to Expected FDA Approval There is now less than a month until the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to approve Ocrevus, generic name ocrelizumab, for use as a therapy for multiple sclerosis. Clinical trials have shown Genentechās drug to be a promising therapy for relapsing MS and, significantly,…
March 1, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Tips for MS Travelers Include Diligent Packing Prep and Carrying a Bright Suitcase My coming trip to Spain has me in research mode. After making a list of myĀ travel questions last week, I decided to obtain the answers to just a few each week. Baby steps for this novice planner. Before I decide whether to take my AFO, cooling vest, trekking…
March 1, 2017 Columns by Tamara Sellman No MS Diet Miracles for Me, Thank You I’ve spent a lot of time latelyĀ around people following special diets. They’re either voluntarily cutting carbs, counting calories, following a diet plan, or fasting, but not because they have a medical condition. Mostly they dietĀ to feel better, lose some weight, or reset their metabolism. I wish them well, even as…
March 1, 2017 Columns by Laura Kolaczkowski #ACTRIMS2017 – Gut Microbiome Gains Researchers’ Interest as Possible MS Therapy The role of the microbiome and its association with multiple sclerosis was the topic of several sessions and papers at the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) 2017 Forum. More thanĀ 800 researchers and clinicians attended the second annual meeting in Orlando last week to hear…
February 28, 2017 News by Laura Kolaczkowski #ACTRIMS2017 – MS, the Gut and Probiotics Harold Weiner, MD, believes in using probiotics to help treat multiple sclerosis.Ā He is such a believer that he did a presentation on the subject ā “Probiotics in Multiple Sclerosis” ā at the just-concluded Americas for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) 2017 Forum in Orlando. The event…
February 28, 2017 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson Raising My Voice to Raise Awareness About MS March is recognized by the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America as MS Awareness Month. Awareness is a vital component of any illness. We must actively engage to collectively congregate and support the cause by way of our time, resources and voices. We are seeking to make communities aware of…
February 28, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias FAQs About the Bioness ‘L300 Go’ for Foot Drop Earlier this month Bioness announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had cleared its new “L300 Go” functional electronic stimulator (FES). It’s an upgrade of the original “L300” that I’ve been using for more than five years. Without the “L300” strapped to my left leg…
February 27, 2017 Columns by Debi Wilson Benefits of Music Therapy for MS Music therapy has long been known for its healing powers ā its useĀ dates back to WWI, where it was used to help with the physical and emotional healing of the wounded. Music can also be of help to those of us with multiple sclerosis. An article from the…
February 27, 2017 Columns by admin #ACTRIMS2017 ā MS Patientās Pick of the Weekās News The ACTRIMS 2017 Forum is the source of my Pick of the Weekās News as published in Multiple Sclerosis News Today. There is Increased Evidence Linking Viruses to MS Risk This evidence goes some way toward justifyingĀ my view, previously published, about connections between viruses and MS. In particular,…
February 27, 2017 Columns by Laura Kolaczkowski #ACTRIMS2017 – Keynote Lecture Focused on Two Disease-Modifying Therapies Editor’s note: Columnist Laura Kolaczkowski writes from theĀ Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) 2017 ForumĀ in Orlando, Fla., (Feb. 23-25). Two MS disease-modifying therapies, Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) and Rituxan (rituximab) were featured in this year’s Kenneth P. Johnson, MD, Memorial Lecture…
February 24, 2017 Columns by Laura Kolaczkowski #ACTRIMS2017: Support for Vitamin D Supplements Grows Evidence supporting the use of Vitamin D for people with multiple sclerosis continues to grow but there remains many unanswered questions as well.Ā Ellen Mowry, MD, Associate Professor of Neurology and Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins MS Center, presented Vitamin D supplementation as disease modifying therapy, to participants at…
February 24, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias Stimulating Neurons to Help with Problem-Solving One of the most troubling symptoms of multiple sclerosis, especially for those of us who are still working, is “brain fog” ā not being able to concentrate ⦠not feeling “sharp” when working on a task or solving problems. So I was interested to read about a new…
February 23, 2017 Columns by Laura Kolaczkowski #ACTRIMS2017 – Learning is Underway at Annual MS Confab Editor’s note: Columnist Laura Kolaczkowski reports from ACTRIMS in Orlando, Fla. TheĀ second Annual Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) got under way in Orlando, Fla., today and runs through Saturday. I have the honor of being on site to hear Ā presentations…
February 23, 2017 Columns by admin MS is No Excuse for Being Discourteous When Offered Help It was a trip, plain and simple, neither my leg giving way nor a fall. It was MS-related because it was directly caused by foot drop; the toe of my left shoe caught on the tiniest ridge at the bottom of…
February 22, 2017 Columns by Tamara Sellman How to survive an MRI if you are claustrophobic Last updated April 26, 2023 A key test for identifying multiple sclerosis (MS) during diagnosis, or to confirm a relapse, is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI.) For those who’ve never had to undergo an MRI, the thought of having this test might be terrifying. Being encased in a magnetic…
February 22, 2017 Columns by Judy Lynn Travel Plans Actually Require Planning These Days, Thanks to MS In my younger years, I took great pride in my far-flung spontaneity, and unfairly judged those I perceived to be too thoughtful and prudent. Age, with its attendant wisdom and experience, moved me slightly inland. In 2003, MS arrived with a smart little bag full of practical necessities,…
February 21, 2017 Columns by Patricia Silva, PhD Exploring Methods to Manage MS-Related Fatigue FatigueĀ isĀ the bane of my existence. Clutter qualifies as my lifestyle. If I can’t see something it may as well beĀ lost. I spend about 50% of my day trying to find things I have put “someplace safe.” The other half I spend looking for something IĀ just had…
February 21, 2017 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson Time, Stress and MS: When Saying ‘No’ is Good for Your Health Time. We all know it is important. Time is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as “the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present and future regarded as a whole.” In simple terms, time is life in a series of moments. Regardless of what is…
February 21, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias I Have MS. Do I Tell the Kids? It’s a question that nearly every MS patient faces. When do I tell my children about my multiple sclerosis, and what’s the best way to do it? In early January I wrote a column about sharing an MS diagnosis. It was prompted by a reader who had told…
February 20, 2017 Columns by Debi Wilson Does your MS Fatigue and Energy Need a Boost? Does your MS fatigue and energy need a boost? I know mine does; having multiple sclerosis drains my battery very quickly. Add to that a terrible cold I had recently, and my fatigue has doubled, and my energy has left the building! While looking for a magic…
February 20, 2017 Columns by admin MS Patientās Pick of the Weekās News: BFitLifestyles, Cannabis, ARNet, Bioness and More Here`s my Pick of the Weekās News as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Fitness Trainer and MS Patient, Dolly Stokes, Launches BFitLifestyles Website with Husband Looking after what you eat and exercising according to your abilities apparently can help alleviate symptoms of many chronic illnesses including…
February 17, 2017 Columns by Jamie Hughes Conference Was a Reminder of Why We Must Continue to Create Own Stories Last week, I attended the Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) conference in Washington, D.C. I had the opportunity to meet many fine folks who are hard at work creating everything from alphabet books for children to poetry protesting xenophobia. I attended panels on editing, writing…
February 17, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias MS Drug Costs: The Elephant in the Examination Room A lot of factors go into our decisions when we selectĀ the drug we’re going to use to fight our multiple sclerosis. How well will it work? What are the possible side effects and how serious could they be? How will using the drug (taking a pill, giving myself a…
February 16, 2017 Columns by Laura Kolaczkowski Sir Peter Mansfield, Pioneering MRI Physicist The MS world lost a very important person on Feb. 8. Britain’s Sir Peter Mansfield, Nobel Laureate, passed awayĀ at the age of 83. For most of us, his name means little, but his work revolutionized the way multiple sclerosis is diagnosed, and the way progression of the disease…
February 16, 2017 Columns by admin MS Love and Care, as Only a Superwife Can Provide Thoughts of love were brought to the forefront of many peopleās minds on Valentineās Day, which is widely celebrated by couples both young and not so young. They usually buy cards and enjoy romantic dinners. In our…
February 15, 2017 Columns by Tamara Sellman The MS Alphabet: Amygdala, ARR, Assistive and More When it comes to multiple sclerosis, mastering your own understanding of the disease means you need to mind your Ps, Qs, dot your Is, cross your Ts, and recite your ABCs. There is so much to know about this complex disease. But the more you know as a…