Have You Joined the Conversations in Our MS Forums?

About a year and a half ago, Multiple Sclerosis News Today introduced a forums section. It’s a great place to post a question or comment about MS, or to answer someone else’s question.

I’m one of the forum moderators, along with John Connor. I get around better than John, but John is a stand-up comic (oh, the irony!) and is more “creative” with his comments. Between the two of us, we’re pretty good at helping people get information.

Here are the subject areas on the MS forums:

• Newly diagnosed: If you’ve just been diagnosed with MS, this is the best place to ask questions. Moderators and forum users will do their best to provide answers and suggest resources without giving medical advice. Don’t be shy.
• Alternative treatments: From vitamins, oils, and even bee stings, this forum is devoted to an exploration of therapies beyond standard, conventional MS care and treatment.
• Durable medical equipment: Do you have a scooter, walker, crutch, brace, or other assistive device? Thinking about getting one? Here’s where to talk about it.
• Living with MS: This is the place for general subjects. It’s the most active of the subject areas.
• MS drugs: This is where we share our experiences with various MS treatments.
• Parents and caregivers: This forum is a place for MS parents and caregivers to talk, share tips, and ask questions. It’s also a place for veteran patients to help the recently diagnosed.
• Polls and quizzes: Share your knowledge and insight about multiple sclerosis. Contribute to our MS polls and quizzes.
• Let’s have some fun: What do you do to relax? What is your hobby? Do you participate in sports? Do you have a good exercise routine? Have you traveled to an interesting place? This is where we share fun experiences.
• Treatments and trials: Information and comments about new research and development in the MS field can be posted here.

Registering for and using the MS forums

Getting started is easy. The first step is to create a profile. Simply go to the main forums page and register with your name, age, and whether you’re an MS patient or caregiver. There is also an option to write a short bio about yourself.

These are public forums and all posts are visible to anyone who visits this page. All discussions are moderated by our patient columnists, and any inappropriate comments will be deleted. We abide by a code of conduct.

Once you’ve found the forum, or forums, in which you’d like to participate, you’re welcome to create discussion topics or reply to other users’ posts.

There is a private messaging feature that allows members to contact one another directly. If there’s something you want to discuss that is more personal, the messaging feature gives you the privacy you need. Go to the profile page of the person you’d like to reach out to and click the “private message” tab to start a conversation. You will receive notifications if they reply.

We’d love to have you join the conversations.

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Note: Multiple Sclerosis News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Multiple Sclerosis News Today or its parent company, BioNews Services, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to multiple sclerosis.