Raising MS Awareness Year-Round

By Tom Scott, United Spinal Association Staff Editor
March 8–14 marks National Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week.
As we reflect upon the progress toward finding a potential cure for multiple sclerosis (MS), United Spinal is committed to continue helping individuals overcome this disease, improve their quality of life, and discover the very best treatment options.
United Spinal’s Multiple Sclerosis Quarterly Report… »

Disorders That Mimic Multiple Sclerosis

Disorders That Mimic Multiple Sclerosis. If your case of MS does not fit the typical pattern, you need to be aware of the other disorders that can mimic… »

Let’s Defeat MS Together-Shelley’s Story

Shelley’s Story - How United Spinal members have coped with and overcome the challenges of Multiple Sclerosis. This is the first in a series of stories from our… »

Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis: Understanding the Differences

Flavia Nelson, MD; Assistant Professor of Neurology, Associate Director MRI Analysis Center––Multiple Sclerosis Research Group, University of Texas Medical School at Houston
 
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex disease. Symptoms can be subtle, especially early in the disease, and vary significantly among patients, which may complicate the process of making an accurate diagnosis. Disease course can… »

MS Spotlight: Yoga Therapist Shelley Sidelman

Shelley Sidelman, a Yoga Therapist  RYT 500 and Long Island, NY resident, combines simple breathing, relaxation and stretching techniques to help people with multiple sclerosis reduce pain, stress and fatigue, increase circulation, improve flexibility and enhance their quality of life.
Sidelman’s adaptive and therapeutic yoga seminars have been attended by health care professionals across the country who face the daily… »

Multiple Sclerosis on the Map: Who’s at Risk?

Researchers and scientists still have a lot to learn about multiple sclerosis (MS). One thing for certain is  that the geographic distribution of this disease around the world is quite distinct.  A north-south gradient in suseptibility to MS exists independent of genetic/racial factors. 
If you take a look at the map, you’ll notice that a significantly higher incidence of MS  is… »

Exercising With Multiple Sclerosis: It’s Not Rocket Science

By Tom Scott
Gyms and health clubs are full of determined individuals trying to improve their health and fitness levels. But all the determination in the world does not make up for the lack of common sense that some people exhibit when they get serious about getting in shape.
If you have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis,… »

Microglia: Professional Scavengers of the Central Nervous System and Possible Targets for New MS Therapies

Samia J. Khoury, MD, Co-director, Partners MS Center; Professor of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Introduction
In multiple sclerosis (MS), both genes and the environment contribute to disease susceptibility. Environmental contributions likely come from exposure to viral, bacterial, or other antigens during childhood, and may “set the stage” for MS. If… »

New Study Finds 1 in 4 Multiple Sclerosis Patients With High Out-of-Pocket Costs

Avoiding medications may adversely affect patient care and increase health care costs
ST. PAUL, Minn. – One in four multiple sclerosis (MS) patients are declining to fill their
prescriptions likely due to high out-of-pocket costs, according to new research conducted by pharmacy benefits manager Prime Therapeutics (Prime). The study found that patients with an out-of-pocket expense greater… »

Traveling With Multiple Sclerosis

Your MS symptoms shouldn’t prevent you from planning the perfect vacation. United Spinal Association’s Able to Travel program can alleviate the stress involved in booking an accessible trip.
By Tom Scott

Traveling with a disability such as multiple sclerosis (MS) can be a stressful experience. Some individuals are so intimidated by the prospect of encountering accessibility issues… »

Conquering the Mountain

Conquering The Mountain. After overcoming her diagnosis and refusing to let MS get the best of her, Dina became the first woman in the world to ski 34,500 vertical feet uphill (also known as skinning) in 24… »

Late Onset MS

Denise I. Campagnolo MD, MS––Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona
Introduction
Multiple sclerosis (MS) has typically been considered a disease of young adults. It actually occurs in people of all ages, but affects far fewer children and older adults than people in their 20’s and 30’s. Studies describing MS that is diagnosed after age 50 (late-onset MS;… »

Multiple Sclerosis in Children

Jean Marie B. Ahorro, MD––The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario Canada; Brenda L. Banwell, MD––Director, Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Clinic The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario Canada
Introduction
Multiple sclerosis (MS) in children is being recognized with increasing frequency. The first descriptions of MS in children were published by Charcot between 1829 and 1849, though… »

Cerebellar MS: A Case Study

Kenneth G. Warren MD & Ingrid Catz MD––Multiple Sclerosis Patient Care and Research Clinic, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
Introduction
The symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) arise due to sites of demyelination, called MS lesions, where electrical signals “short out” across lines of communication. Where in the brain these lesions form does not always determine what symptoms… »

Paroxysmal Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis: They Come and They Go

Many people with MS often confuse a pseudoexacerbation with a true MS exacerbation. The symptoms are similar, but the duration and underlying cause are… »

Health Benefits of Yoga

What do you think of when you hear the word Yoga? This article dispels the pretzel postures myth and offers views on a much more gentle… »

Diagnostic Criteria for MS

Diagnosing Multiple Sclerosis. Dr. Roberto Bomprezzi goes into detail on the criteria and difficulty in early diagnosis of MS…. »

Functional Electrical Stimulation and Multiple Sclerosis: Seperating Fact from Fiction

Functional electrical stimulation and Multiple Sclerosos- Get the facts from Brian Hutchinson, PT,… »

Monoclonal Antibodies: A New Way to Treat MS

New class of therapy used to combat multiple sclerosis (MS)- Monoclonal antibodies (MABs)…. »

Exercise and Gait Retraining in Persons with Multiple Sclerosis

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