1.) What is multiple sclerosis (MS)?

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease that attacks the central nervous system (CNS). It is considered a chronic and often disabling disease. The CNS includes the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. Symptoms of multiple sclerosis can vary and can include numbness in the limbs, or it can become more severe and lead to paralysis or loss of vision. The severity and progression of this disease are unpredictable and vary from person to person.

2.) MS, an autoimmune disease

What does this mean? – An autoimmune disease is when the body’s own defenses attack the nervous system. In other words, the body’s defenses will attack myelin, which are the fatty substances that surround and protect the nerve fibers of the CNS. When these nerve fibers are damaged, myelin forms scar tissue (also known as sclerosis). As a result of damaged or destroyed nerve fibers, nerve impulses that travel to and from the brain and spinal cord can be disturbed. Which means that the transmission of these impulses can be interrupted; this can produce a variety of symptoms.

3.) The cause of multiple sclerosis

While the exact cause of this disease is unknown, scientists currently believe that there is a combination of several factors that lead to MS. These factors include:

A.) Environmental

Ms is known to occur more frequently in areas of the world that are further from the equator. Studies have shown that when a person is born in a high-risk area and then moves to a lower-risk area, before the age of 15, the person can acquire the risk of the new area. – Some researchers attribute this to the amount of vitamin D that a person will receive, as a result of living in each area, due to sunlight.

B.) Genetic

While multiple sclerosis is not inherited, people with a first-degree relative, parent, or brother with MS have been shown to increase their risk of developing the disease.

4.) Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis

Balance problems and weakness can develop when a person has MS. This can affect the way a person walks or moves and, as a result, can decrease the individual’s quality of life. Some treatment methods can help people who have these walking problems.

Walking Problems and Multiple Sclerosis: Treatment Options

When a person has walking problems that develop from MS, they can benefit from working with their local licensed orthopedist. These people are orthopedic brace specialists and can provide you with a specific type of brace called AFO that will help you with your balance, gait, and walking speed. People are now also using a device called a WalkAide to help with foot drop due to MS. This is an FDA approved device that is receiving a lot of attention in the medical field as a way to help people walk if they have a foot drop due to multiple sclerosis.