Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a nervous system disease that affects the brain and spinal cord.  Between 250-350 thousand Americans are estimated to be diagnosed with MS, which is equal to 200 new cases of MS each week.

No one knows what causes MS but we do know that the condition damages the myelin sheath, the material that surrounds and protects your nerve cells. This damage slows down or blocks messages between your brain and your body, leading to MS symptoms. 

What we do know is this.  MS is a relatively unpredictable disease of the central nervous system, and can range from relatively benign to somewhat disabling to devastating as communication between the brain and other parts of the body is disrupted.  Usually, the disease is mild, but some people lose the ability to write, speak or walk.

FOUR TYPES OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

There are four types of multiple sclerosis.  The most common is called "relapsing remitting MS", which is characterized by worsening symptoms that are followed by period of improvement.  Progressive MS, on the other hand, is charatecterized by continual worsening of symptoms without improvement.  Other MS diagnoses include secondary progressive MS which begins as relapsing remitting and becomes more progressive.  Finally, progressive relapsing MS continually exhibits worsening symptoms from the start and is accompanied by occasional attacks that worsen the condition.Unless treated, about half of patients diagnosed with relapsing remitting MS will develop progressive MS within 15 years.