Together with INTEGRIS Health physicians, neuroscientists and experts, we’ll do all we can to forestall MS, alleviate the symptoms and help you learn to manage them.
The nerve fibers in your body are surrounded by a fatty tissue called myelin. When this is destroyed, scar tissue called “sclerosis” develops. This results in damage to the nerves, reducing their effectiveness in conducting electrical impulses to the brain. This problem is the main cause of the symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), though the underlying reason why the damage occurs is not fully understood – it may be autoimmune or a failure of the myelin cells themselves.
MS is a chronic, largely unpredictable disease, and affects everyone that has it differently. Some people with MS may have only mild symptoms. Others may lose their ability to see clearly, write, speak, or walk when communication between the brain and other parts of the body becomes disrupted.
Together with INTEGRIS Health physicians, neuroscientists and experts, we’ll do all we can to forestall MS, alleviate the symptoms and help you learn to manage them. Most people with MS live long, happy, fulfilling lives despite the challenges they face.
Symptoms vary from person to person, and they may come and go or become more or less severe from day to day. They may appear in different combinations, depending on the area of the nervous system affected. The following are the most common symptoms of MS:
As the disease progresses, cognitive symptoms may develop as well:
Symptoms of MS may mimic those of other nervous system problems, so MS is diagnosed by ruling out other conditions. Two things are required to make a diagnosis of MS: You must have had 2 attacks at least 1 month apart and more than one area of damage to central nervous system myelin. An MS evaluation involves a complete health history and neurological exam assessing mental, emotional, language and sense function as well as movement and coordination, vision, and balance. To determine a diagnosis or to rule out other diseases the following may be used when evaluating a person for MS:
There is no cure yet for MS. But you can do things to help change the course of the disease, treat flare-ups, manage symptoms and improve your function and mobility.
Treatments for the conditions seen with MS may include:
Medications
Equipment
Rehabilitation Activities
Depending on your symptoms and how severe they are, MS rehabilitation may help you to:
We strive to provide you with care that’s not only the best available, but care that’s convenient and as close to home as possible. These INTEGRIS Health locations near you are ready to help.
