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Multiple Sclerosis Foundation

Our Mission

The Multiple Sclerosis Foundation (MSF) provides a comprehensive approach to helping people with MS. We strive to motivate, educate, and empower people with MS to maintain their health and well-being.

The MSF offers a wide array of free services including national toll-free support, educational programs, homecare, support groups, assistive technology, publications, a comprehensive website, and more to improve the quality of life for those affected by MS.

Our resources assist people who have MS, their families and caregivers, regional support groups, and healthcare professionals. Access to our programs and services is available through our interactive web site or our national, toll-free helpline staffed by caring caseworkers and peer counselors. Our priority is to serve with empathy, resourcefulness and responsibility.

All MSF services, as well as information, literature and subscriptions to our publications are provided free of charge.



Activity

  • Multiple Sclerosis Foundation
    Multiple Sclerosis Foundation answered:
    What is a pseudo-exacerbation in multiple sclerosis (MS)?
    A virus can cause old multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms to resurface and make you feel like you are in an exacerbation. This is commonly called a "pseudo-exacerbation." In the hospital, we often see older people without MS who look like they are having a stroke, when all they have is a urinary tract...  Full Post
  • Multiple Sclerosis Foundation
    Multiple Sclerosis Foundation answered:
    What are spinal cord symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS)?
    The most common presentation of multiple sclerosis (MS) is in the spinal cord. Spinal cord symptoms include sensory symptoms such as tingling, less feeling, and pain, as well as weakness and the "MS Hug" (partial transverse myelitis).  Full Post
  • Multiple Sclerosis Foundation
    Multiple Sclerosis Foundation answered:
    What is the relationship between depression and multiple sclerosis (MS)?
    Depression in multiple sclerosis (MS) is particularly problematic because of the number of shared symptoms between the two disorders, making depression difficult to diagnose. Fatigue and decreased cognitive functioning are just two examples of conditions common to both depression and MS.
    ...  Full Post
  • Multiple Sclerosis Foundation
    Multiple Sclerosis Foundation answered:
    What are genes?
    Genes are more than what you wear, they make us what we are. We are all created from two sets of genetic blueprints, strings of amino acids (the basic building blocks that make up deoxyribonucleic acid [DNA]) that tell our cells what proteins to produce in order to make our bodies work. One...  Full Post
  • Multiple Sclerosis Foundation
    Multiple Sclerosis Foundation answered:
    Are autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS) hereditary?
    Autoimmune diseases tend to "cluster" in families. For example, one family member may have autoimmune hepatitis, another celiac disease, and another rheumatoid arthritis. Current research points to a genetic component in autoimmune diseases and an understanding that what is inherited is not...  Full Post
  • Multiple Sclerosis Foundation
    Multiple Sclerosis Foundation answered:
    How is relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) treated?
    Eighty-five percent of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) are originally diagnosed with a relapsing-remitting course of the disease (RRMS). Characterized by a pattern of attacks followed by remissions, RRMS is often treated with first line disease-modifying drugs such as Avonex, Betaseron,...  Full Post
  • Multiple Sclerosis Foundation
    Multiple Sclerosis Foundation answered:
    How can multiple sclerosis (MS) affect my sleep?
    Many people with multiple sclerosis (MS) often report trouble falling or staying asleep. While insomnia is not an MS symptom, other conditions seen with MS, such as bladder problems, spasticity and depression, all make it hard to get a good night's rest.  Full Post
  • Multiple Sclerosis Foundation
    Multiple Sclerosis Foundation answered:
    What is insomnia in people with multiple sclerosis (MS)?
    Insomnia can mean trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or waking too early in the morning. It's not a matter of how long you sleep each night (not everyone needs the same amount), but if you feel well-rested when you wake. Problems sleeping can be short term, lasting only a couple of nights,...  Full Post
  • Multiple Sclerosis Foundation
    Multiple Sclerosis Foundation answered:
    How can I get a good night's sleep if I have multiple sclerosis (MS)?
    Getting a good night's sleep could be as easy as getting into the right routine. Wake up and go to sleep at a regular time, and limit or eliminate naps. Before bed, try a restful routine like taking a warm shower, getting a back rub, or meditation.

    Make your bedroom a sanctuary. Avoid harsh...  Full Post
  • Multiple Sclerosis Foundation
    Multiple Sclerosis Foundation answered:
    Can lack of vitamin D in childhood cause multiple sclerosis (MS)?
    Researchers from the University of Toronto have continued studying the role vitamin D plays in multiple sclerosis (MS), finding that children with low levels could be at a higher risk of developing the condition.

    They looked at a biomarker for vitamin D in young people who had a demyelinating event...  Full Post
  • Multiple Sclerosis Foundation
    Multiple Sclerosis Foundation answered:
    How can I cope with generalized anxiety disorder if I have MS?
    There are self-help strategies that therapists recommend that may help in dealing with anxiety if you have generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) -- uncontrollable and extreme worry about hypothetical situations on a daily basis. They include:
    • Educating yourself about anxiety: Knowing the fears
    ...  Full Post
  • Multiple Sclerosis Foundation
    Multiple Sclerosis Foundation answered:
    How is generalized anxiety disorder treated in people with MS?
    The Office of Women's Health explains that generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) -- uncontrollable and extreme worry about hypothetical situations on a daily basis -- is diagnosed when a person worries excessively about a variety of problems for at least six months. If GAD is the culprit, your...  Full Post
  • Multiple Sclerosis Foundation
    Multiple Sclerosis Foundation answered:
    How does multiple sclerosis (MS) cause shortness of breath?
    Multiple sclerosis (MS) sometimes causes something called restrictive ventilatory defect, where tightness in the muscles between the ribs limits how much the ribcage can move when you take a breath. While your actual blood oxygen levels are usually not affected, the defect does give a very distinct...  Full Post
  • Multiple Sclerosis Foundation
    Multiple Sclerosis Foundation answered:
    How does smoking affect the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS)?
    People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who smoke appear to experience a more rapid progression of their disease, according to a report in an issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the Journal of the American Medical Association/Archives journals. Cigarette smokers are at higher risk of developing...  Full Post
  • Multiple Sclerosis Foundation
    Multiple Sclerosis Foundation answered:
    What is GIFT15 treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS)?
    An experimental treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) completely reverses experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), the equivalent of MS in mice; the potential in humans has yet to be determined. Researchers at the Jewish General Hospital Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research and McGill...  Full Post