October 19, 2017 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Accepting that Sometimes, We Need Rest By the grace of God, I am a naturally positive individual who lends optimism and hope to even the bleakest of situations. Because of this, it is difficult to find me in a situation when my auspicious nature tires; after all, we find out the most…
October 18, 2017 Columns by Mike Knight Cue Me In I have every single malady associated with MS. Iām absolutely positive. Because whenever I find out about a new one, or a new study that says we donāt sleep well, or we twitch or tremble, or suffer from this deficiency or that, Iāve got it.
September 15, 2017 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Five Research Projects Totaling $38 Million to Compare Effectiveness of MS Treatment Strategies The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research InstituteĀ has awarded $38 million in grants for five projects that compare the effectiveness of different multiple sclerosis treatment strategies. A key aim of the research is to improve knowledge about the therapiesĀ to help doctors and patients choose the healthcare option that best meets patients’ needs.Ā The…
September 8, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias When Do MS Symptoms Become a Relapse? Am I having an MS relapse? I saw that question asked the other day on one of the social sites I follow. At first, I thought, “Gee, doesn’t everyone with MS know when they’re having a relapse?” Then I realized thatĀ for several years after I was diagnosed, I…
August 11, 2017 Columns by John Connor Walk This Way As I write, I’m pain-free. This is important, but not for the obvious reason. I’m pain-free and can walk āĀ or at least stumble ā about as best as I’ve been able to manage of late. It’s not much, but I can be involved in family life and get…
August 4, 2017 Columns by John Connor Itchy Arms and the Internet: Making Rash Assumptions It’s been an incredibly bad few weeks, so I’m not surprised that I spent recent days wondering if I had incurable liver disease. Living with chronic illness, plus the internet, plus nowĀ justifiable hypochondria, is a very dark nexus. It started with a UTI thatĀ has been persistent for nigh…
May 1, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Patients Struggle with Misdiagnosis and Ineffective Treatments, Survey Finds A significant percentage of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients struggle with improper diagnoses and ineffective treatments, a national survey of more than 5,300 patients found. The fifth annual survey, āMS in America 2017,ā was conducted by Health Union between Jan. 25 and March 1, 2017. ItĀ was released through the…
April 27, 2017 News by Maria Verissimo, MSc MS Patients Seem to Present Earlier Symptoms of Disease Before Diagnosis Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) may be developing the disease for up to five years before the first clinical diagnosis is made, a study has found. The study, “Health-care use before a first demyelinating event suggestive of a multiple sclerosis prodrome: a matched cohort study,” was published…
March 9, 2017 Columns by admin Let’s Compare MS Symptoms, and How We’re Handling Them We all know, because we have heard it so many times, that MS is not the same for everyone — that no two people have exactly the same combination of symptoms. That got me…
February 9, 2017 Columns by admin Worry Less to Reduce Unnecessary Stress Stress is like a light that turns on when you need it. But when you can’t turn it off, you run the risk of burnout, which can impact your health, according to the U.S. National MS Society. I often have said that I…
February 7, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD 95% of MS Patients Open to Marijuana Treatment, 73% Have Tried It Ninety-five percent ofĀ multiple sclerosis (MS)Ā patients believe medical marijuana should be a treatment option, according to aĀ GeneFoĀ online survey. The survey also showed that almost 73 percent had tried it, even though about half said they hadn’t received information from a doctor about its benefits and risks. A National…
January 16, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Early Detection of PML May Lessen Damage Done to MS Patients Using Tysabri Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients treated with Tysabri (natalizumab) is linked to better outcomes if the condition does not give rise to actual symptoms and is diagnosed early. Limited brain lesions and moreĀ protective immune responses were also seen in patients who fared better, but researchers…
January 11, 2017 Columns by Cathy Chester Speak Up, Truthfully, About ‘Unseen’ But Real MS Symptoms When thinking about multiple sclerosis (MS), itās important to remember there are four distinct types of the disease. Most of you well know this, so Iāll just mention them here: relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS); secondary progressive MS; primary progressive MS, and clinically isolated syndrome. (Anyone needing or wishing more information…
June 2, 2016 Columns by admin Can Vitamin D Supplements Prevent MS or Keep Symptoms from Worsening? There has been a great deal of talk and conjecture about the relationship between multiple sclerosis (MS) and vitamin D, often linked to living in an area lackingĀ sunshine. Indeed, when I lived in the United Kingdom, which is notorious — or should be — for seemingly endless gray skies and…
July 10, 2015 News by Maureen Newman Risk Assessment Ability Declines With Multiple Sclerosis Disease Severity According To Survey The ability to assess risk may decline as multiple sclerosis disease status progresses over time, as determined by a recent study from University of Alberta in Canada. Principal investigator Esther Fujiwara, PhD, and lead author of the study, Ashley Radomski, used the game of dice task (GDT) to challenge patients…
September 1, 2014 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Consumption of High Amounts of Salt May Worsen MS Symptoms, Study Suggests A diet high in salt can worsenĀ multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) symptoms, as well as increase the risks ofĀ neurological deterioration, according to an observational study led byĀ Mauricio Farez, from theĀ Universidad del SalvadorĀ in Buenos Aires, Argentina and recently published at theĀ Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry,Ā entitled, “Sodium intake is associated with…
August 15, 2014 News by Maureen Newman Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms Aggravated By Genetic Alterations in Patients While the majority of scientists dedicated to multiple sclerosis research focus on genetic regulators of conditions such as autoimmunity, demyelination, inflammation,Ā and neurodegeneration, a team from the University of Lubeck in Germany, led by Saleh M. Ibrahim, MD, PhD, focuses on genetic regulators of conduction velocity. The team is uncovering…