Multiple Sclerosis Overview

While there is no cure for multiple sclerosis (MS), major strides in understanding the disease and knowing when and how to treat multiple sclerosis have been made over the past decade. Healthcare providers can make a multiple sclerosis diagnosis at an early stage through magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, instead of waiting for a second flare-up (or relapse) to confirm a diagnosis.

Beginning multiple sclerosis treatment as soon as possible is very important. Even if you are not experiencing MS symptoms, MRI shows that nerve damage caused by multiple sclerosis in the central nervous system (CNS) begins early in the disease. Over time this underlying damage to the brain and spinal cord may become permanent, leading to physical disability or cognitive impairment (problems with memory, thinking and other mental functions). This section will help you learn more about multiple sclerosis and how to manage it, including:

• What is multiple sclerosis?
• Multiple sclerosis symptoms
• Multiple sclerosis diagnosis
• What to expect with multiple sclerosis
• Multiple sclerosis treatment options
• Talk to your healthcare provider about multiple sclerosis

Because the course of multiple sclerosis can vary greatly from one person to another and for any one person over time, it's important to work with your healthcare provider to find out what treatment is best for you.

Many factors will influence your healthcare provider's assessment of the best multiple sclerosis treatment for your needs. One factor will be lifestyle issues that could affect your ability to stay with a multiple sclerosis treatment over time. Ask your healthcare provider if once-a-week AVONEX is an option for you. Whichever multiple sclerosis treatment you and your healthcare provider choose, your healthcare provider should also follow you closely to see how you respond to your treatment.

Although no one can predict when, or if there will be a cure for multiple sclerosis, there is much reason to be hopeful about the future. The ongoing advances in research are occurring at a faster rate than ever before and continue to add to our understanding of how MS works and progresses. It's this constant quest for knowledge that will guide us to the next generation of treatments, and hopefully, a cure.

One thing to remember: taking a proactive approach may help make a positive impact on how you manage the disease and on the quality of your life.

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