BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system). More than 400,000 Americans are suffer from MS. The disease is caused by damage to the protective covering that surrounds nerve cells, called the myelin sheath. When these nerve cells are damaged it causes nerve signals to slow down or stop completely. The nerve damage is usually caused by inflammation that occurs when the body's own immune cells attack the nervous system occurring in any area of the spinal cord, brain, and optic nerve. So far the cause of this disease is unknown, but commonly it is thought to happen because of either a virus or gene defect. People who have a family history of MS or live in an area where MS is more common might be more likely to develop this disease. SYMPTOMS: As with many diseases, symptoms vary due to the severity of each attack. Episodes may last days, weeks, or months and are usually followed with a remission. Because nerves in any part of the brain or spinal cord may be damaged, patients with multiple sclerosis can have symptoms in many parts of the body. 1. Muscle symptoms: … Continue reading →

On the eve of two community MS Walks Sunday in Coral Gables and Aventura, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, South Florida Chapter is announcing a new partnership with the University of Miami medical school to treat those living with the disease. The National MS Societys partnership with the MS Center of Excellence and John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, headed by Dr. Margaret Pericak-Vance, will offer 24-hour patient care, a clinical research center, a team of neurologists, international genetic research and MS genetic registry, educational programs and more on UMs medical campus in Miami. Theres a great need for a center of comprehensive treatment mainly because the care of MS patients is very specialized, its almost become like oncology, said Dr. Kottil Rammohan, a professor of clinical neurology at the University of Miami and the director of the MS Center, which has branches in Hialeah, Kendall, Plantation and Boca Raton. The treatments are very complex and so what we hope to have is a center available for Central and South Florida but also to become a major center for Latin American patients coming through Miami as well, Rammohan added. Multiple sclerosis is a disease of the nervous system that … Continue reading →

~ MobilityMattersinMS.ca is the First Canadian Website Dedicated to Mobility Impairment in MS ~ TORONTO, March 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - Mobility impairment is the most significant physical symptom of having multiple sclerosis (MS). In fact, the results of an international study show that Canadian patients consistently rank walking as their highest priority among thirteen bodily functions including vision, cognition and bladder control, regardless of the degree of impairment or disease duration.1 MobilityMatterinMS.ca, developed by Biogen Idec Canada, is the first Canadian online resource that provides information to help patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals manage the symptoms of mobility impairment in MS. Multiple sclerosis is a complex, neurologic disease that impacts overall quality of life with a wide range of symptoms. The international Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life Research - IMPACT survey reveals that nearly one-half (48 per cent) of Canadian MS patients experience difficulties with mobility within one month after diagnosis,2 increasing to 92 per cent within 10 years of diagnosis.3 "Research advances have provided MS patients with improvements in the treatment of their disease, but the management of symptoms like mobility continues to be a significant challenge," said Dr. Daniel Selchen, MD, FRCPC, neurologist at St. Michael's Hospital in … Continue reading →