MSAA is proud to mark the 10-year anniversary of one of our most sought-after programs: the MRI Institute. Supported by EMD Serono, Inc. and Pfizer Inc since the program’s inception in 2002, the MRI Institute provides cranial MRI scans to MS patients who otherwise could not afford the test due to lack of insurance or steep coverage limits. Over the past decade, this critical program has benefited more than 7,500 individuals with MS across the country.

Most gifts to MSAA are random. They come as people think of adding to the quality of life for someone affected by MS, or are prompted by a letter or telephone call.

Aquatic therapy, a sub-specialty in the fields of physical or occupational therapy that is done in a swimming pool, can benefit people with MS by improving flexibility and motion, allowing muscles to relax, and reducing pain. Aquatic exercise – exercises done in a pool – can also help achieve these same results. Knowledge of swimming is not required for either aquatic therapy or aquatic exercise.

The Motivator – Spread the Word: Three informative books from MSAA’s Lending Library are featured.

“In 1868, Jean-Martin Charcot defined the clinical features and named the disorder we now know as multiple sclerosis (MS) – and speculation about cause and potential therapies began. Initially, the treatments applied to an MS patient were those used for any serious neurologic disease and included a list of drugs thought to be sedatives and others that were stimulants: foxglove, Indian tobacco, aconite, hemlock, coffee, musk, garlic, asafoeteda, valerian, castor, oil of amber, skunk cabbage, alcohol, ether, chloroform, opium, hops, deadly nightshade, henbane, Hoffman anodyne, and extract of hemp.

“The dark history of MS therapy has included snake venom, bee stings, malaria, colostrum, magical shoes, and rest (exercise was once thought to make MS worse). In 1970, in the beginning of my neurologic/MS career, many patients were not told that they had MS because the diagnosis was ‘too scary.’ They were told not to expect pain, cognitive problems, or depression. In fact, MS was thought to cause ‘euphoria.’

“Early in my career, with no proven therapy, there was no rush to diagnose MS. Without the right tools, a diagnosis couldn’t be reached quickly anyway. Evoked potential studies were eventually developed to assess optic nerve and other central nervous system (CNS) conduction abnormalities. More sophisticated spinal fluid analysis, including tests for immunoglobulin G index and oligoclonal bands, helped to establish the MS diagnosis.

“Over the past few decades, the advances in MS have been remarkable. There has been a revolution in understanding the disease process and remarkable advances in developing drug-based treatments. In addition, through my interest in wellness and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), I have seen a dramatic shift in non-drug based approaches to MS.

“I am incredibly encouraged by two positive trends in MS in recent years: the development of a multitude of MS therapies, and the rise of empowered, highly-informed patients. These two trends go hand-in-hand, for as clinicians have more numerous and more complex treatment options to offer to our patients, the need for patient education and awareness has become more crucial than ever.

“The field of MS therapeutics has been at the leading edge of innovative research into the treatment of neurologic illness. Having nine disease-modifying agents, and a full pipeline of newer molecules that may prove successful in the treatment of MS, have transformed the care of MS.