What Types of MS are there?

Multiple Sclereosis types:

What are the different types of Multiple Sclerosis?

There are 4 types of Multiple Sclerosis that are recognized internationally. These 4 types of MS are categorized under different labels. It is thought that this may be done this way because some of the different types of MS appear to be related, but somehow different as far as their specific symptoms that tend to be characteristic of each type of Multiple Sclerosis certain disease progression.

Click on the link to read more -- Types of MS.

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Whole Body Vibration Exercise: How can it Help with Taming MS Symptoms?

Whole Body Vibration Exercise and MS:

What is whole body vibration exercise and can it help with reducing the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis?

Whole body vibration uses sonic vibration that helps to exercise the muscles in a way that your body responds as if it is actually working out much more strenuously than it actually is, making the muscles increase muscle strength, as well as giving your body other benefits without over exerting that body.

In the case of Multiple Sclerosis fatigue can be a big factor that can make it more difficult for those with this diagnosis to exercise and still be able to end up with the benefits that we need to help us to be able to physically function better.

Can whole body vibration help with regenerating nerve cells, damaged by MS attacking the nerves?

The thinking of the medical community is changing more towards the idea that intense physical therapy or exercise can help to regenerate the nerves that are connected to the muscles that are being exercised in this way.

How does doing whole body vibration exercises help those of us that have been give the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis?

Click on the link to read more - whole body vibration exercises and ms.

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Vitamin D Multiple Sclerosis: Can Taking Extra Vitamin D Reduce Depression in MS?

Depression in Multiple Sclerosis cause big problems, since it increases the amount of stress that we are experiencing and stress has been found in MS research to contribute in a big way to causing MS attacks to become much worse in both frequency and severity.

When it comes to taking extra vitamin D Multiple Sclerosis can be kept at bay in a few different ways.

One of the ways that taking extra vitamin D can help those of with Multiple Sclerosis is to greatly reduce or possibly even eliminate depression in MS. There are a few different factors that can contribute to depression in Multiple Sclerosis.

Vitamin D has been found to have a protective factor, when it comes to Multiple Sclerosis, since it does help to prevent or at least reduce how often the MS attacks appear, in addition to reducing how severe the MS attacks and their effects on damaging nerves can become.

Vitamin D has a much more dramatic effect on helping to reduce the depression that can often be found in many cases of Multiple Sclerosis

SAD, depression Multiple Sclerosis:

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and how does it affect those who have been with the diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis?

SAD is a seasonal depression that is more common than you think and it is based on how a person’s body reacts to the shortened periods of day light hours during the winter months. SAD can present a much worse dilemma for people that live in countries where they receive less day light hours per day than the average day light hours that a person receives that lives in a country closer to the equator.

vitamin d Multiple Sclerosis:

Our skin produces vitamin D as a response to the skin being exposed to the sun light. Our bodies need the increased levels of vitamin D to boost our immune system and make it easier for our bodies to be able to fight off infections. This is so much more vital to those of us that have been given the Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis, since Multiple Sclerosis sets us up for our immune systems to become much weaker to start with.

For those of us that have been given the diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis, it is so much more important for us to find a way to boost our vitamin D levels. I have found that for my own case of MS, that if I do find a way to increase my vitamin D levels, this reduces the number of infections that I end up having each month and it also reduces how frequent and how severe the infections can become when they do occur.

Our brains also produce more serotonin in response to the day light hours when we are up and about doing things during the day light hours, but being out in the sun works much better at boosting the serotonin levels. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps to regulate our sleep-wake cycles and helps us to maintain a regular sleep pattern. Ending up with enough sleep is so important for those of us that have been given the diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis for several reasons.

The majority of those us that are battling with Multiple Sclerosis have more problems already with decreased levels of serotonin and the problems of the reaction of our bodies to the shortened day light hours just adds to the problems that we already are experiencing because of the effects of MS on our bodies with reducing our serotonin levels.

Serotonin also helps to regulate mood and if the levels of serotonin in our brains drop too low, depression, anxiety and total unrest can result. If the serotonin deficiency is severe enough, the depression can become more severe to the point that it heads towards suicidal tendencies.

What can be done about this?

There are 2 options that I found that can help to reduce this problem.

One option is to take vitamin D tablets or softgels, as either dry vitamin D or as fish oil vitamin D. I tend to take the dry vitamin D in tablet form, so that I can take it in larger doses, as needed (this is recommended by my doctor, since vitamin D is NOT considered as toxic like some other vitamins are if taken at higher doses for longer periods of time).

The Second option is to purchase a device that uses what is called light therapy, which uses light that mimics natural sun light fairly closely that allows you to be able to use it to shine this light on your skin each day to boost vitamin D and serotonin levels in the body and to rid the body of SAD. The benefit of using this type of light is that it eliminates the effects of being exposed to ultra violet radiation that we also are exposed to when we sun bathe. Light therapy can actual help to reduce or maybe even eliminate depression in ms by elevating the amounts of serotonin in the brain, which helps to regulate mood.

Ultraviolet radiation from the sun is known for accelerating the aging process and causing sin cancer. Using the light therapy device allows you to eliminate the exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun, while allowing you to receive the benefits that would be generated in your body from your skin being exposed to sun light on a daily basis. It would be better if you can find a way to sit out in the sun without covering up all of you skin to allow your skin to be able to produce the serotonin and vitamin D that your body needs, but if finding the time and a way for you to get out in the sunlight enough during the day, this is a good alternative.

If you would like more information on the light therapy device that I discuss above or you would like to find out more about what Alternative and Natural ways that we have found that work for reducing the symptoms of MS go to http://www.TamingMultipleSclerosis.com/ to find out more.

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What are your Symptoms of MS?

What symptoms of MS do you find that you have been struggling with?

Do you find that Multiple Sclerosis is making it difficult for you to function on a daily basis, as you could before you were diagnosed with MS?

Have you found any Alternative or Natural ways that have helped to reduce your Multiple Sclerosis symptoms?

Would you like to describe for us what you have found that has helped reduce your symptoms of MS?

Are you looking for an alternative Multiple Sclerosis responds to for your symptoms of ms to be reduced?

We would love to hear from you about what your symptoms of MS are like so that we can provide you with further information on Alternative and Natural ways that we have found to reduce our own symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis that we have also been battling with for 12 years.

We want to do what we can to help you!

If you would like more information about the Alternative and Natural ways that we have found that reduce the symptoms of MS, go to http://www.TamingMultipleSclerosis.com/ to learn more.

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MS blog and MS information

What is an ms blog ?

It is a place you can go online when searching for more ms information .

Is a Multiple Sclerosis blog a good place to go for finding a particular kind of treatment for multiple sclerosis ?

It can be depending on what type of treatments you are looking for or considering for using for your own case of Multiple Sclerosis.

Can a Multiple Sclerosis Blog help me to find information on Alternative and Natural ways for reducing the symptoms of ms?

Our blog is focused on providing you with information on Alternative and Natural ways that have helped us with finding ways that do help to reduce the symptoms of ms .

Our goal is to help you find information that you can discuss with your doctor when searching for ways to reduce your own symptoms of ms.

Do you have any particular set of symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis that you have been having problems finding ways that can help bring you relief from this multiple sclerosis symptom that you would like us to discuss on our ms blog?

If you do have questions or any particular area that you would like more information about, then leave a comment after this post and let us know.

We would like to help you find the ms information that you are searching for to help you find ways for you to find relief to your ms symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis .

For further information on the Alternative and Natural ways that we have found that have helped to relieve our symptoms of MS go to http://www.TamingMultipleSclerosis.com/ to find out more.

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MS Symptoms and Alkalizing the Body

Diet and MS :

Many dietary changes are a major consideration for reducing the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis . There are many ideas and theories as to which dietary changes can help to reduce the symptoms of MS. One of the considerations that may be valid for most cases of Multiple Sclerosis deals with Alkalizing the body.

Alkalizing -- this term refers to the pH of the body. pH is a scale where how chemicals both within the body and out side the body interact. The scale is from 0 to 14 with 0 being the strongest acid environment and 14 being the strongest alkaline environment. To give you something to compare to, water is typically considered neutral on the pH scale (from 6.5 to 7.5) with 7 being considered absolutely neutral. Our bodies should typically have a pH of between 6.5 and 8.

ms nutrition

Why does alkalizing the body matter at all? Well, it turns out that most infections (whether bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungal infections) require an acidic environment for them to be able to thrive and multiply. Infections love an acidic environment. If we can keep our bodies more neutral to alkaline for its overall pH, the majority of infections can’t survive.

Click on the link to read more -- 

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MS Brain Function and my own symptoms of MS

MS brain function problems are more of a common occurrance than you think.

Our brains are the master controllers for our entire body. When something, like Multiple Sclerois, causes scarring or damage to the brain, many things can be much more difficult for us to do on a daily basis or if the scarring is severe enough this can mean that our abilities to function are greatly reduced.

So much of what our bodies can do are so strongly affected by the scrambling or blocking of the nerve signals that the brain sends throughout the rest of the body that there can be a long list of the Multiple Sclerosis symptoms that can result.

Click on the link to read more -- MS brain


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MS Therapy: Can MS Equine Therapy or MS Horse Therapy Help with Learning to Walk Again After MS? MS?

Can MS equine therapy or MS horse therapy be used as a MS therapy for helping retrain a person to walk again after the effects of MS attacks on making it so that they can't walk for a longer period of time?

What is Equine or Horse Therapy ?

Equine or Horse therapy is where a series of exercises are performed, while the person is sitting or riding on a horse.

Exercising on the horse strengthens the muscles and increases balance, which allows the person to be able to stay on the horse without falling off. Once the person is able to balance on a horse, so that they don’t fall off, the therapists can lead the horse around, while the person undergoing therapy is sitting on it.

This helps to get the person used to the movement of walking again and can actually help to retrain the brain to get used to the movement and natural gait of walking again, even if the person is not able to physically walk for a period of time.

How can doing Horse or Equine Therapy help to reduce the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis?

Click on the link to read more -- MS equine therapy

If you have found this information helpful or if you would like to add any other information related to the topic of this post, please us your comments. We would love to hear from you!

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Using Speech Therapy for MS

Although the Multiple sclerosis effects on the body can vary from case to case, there are some cases that can include stuttering, scrambling information (or dyslexia) or problems with slurring your words that can make it difficult for those, with the Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis, to be able to communicate with other people.

Speech therapy is a treatment for Multiple Sclerosis that can help to reduce the effects of MS on speech for those that have these problems with their particular case of MS by helping to retrain the speech center of the brain.

Speech therapy helps to retrain the Multiple Sclerosis brain for the person to be able to speak more clearly again, to reduce stuttering, slurring words or problems with forming words or being able to speak more clearly to make it easier to understand what the affected person is saying.

I have found two brain exercise programs that complement each other, that target specific parts of the brain, including the speech center, that help to redevelop neural pathways by exercising the parts of the brain that are often affected by the scarring or damage to the brain, that can be associated with MS.

These 2 programs, which can be installed on a computer, help retrain the brain through giving both auditory and visual instructions for being able to perform the exercises. If these brain exercises are done consistently over a period of time, they can strengthened and improved how well the brain can function positively to a more significant degree.

If you are interested in finding out more about what I have found that reduces the symptoms of MS, go to: http://www.TamingMultipleSclerosis.com/ to find out more.

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Can Aqua or Water Therapy Help with MS?

Multiple Sclerosis therapy:

Aquatic or water therapy, is one of the therapies, that is gaining more popularity with helping to give those with Multiple Sclerosis exercises, that they can do, without over exerting the body and making those with MS too exhausted. In some cases of Multiple Sclerosis, traditional physical therapy and other exercises can sometimes be too much for the person's body to tolerate. In these cases of MS, the result of doing more strenuous physical therapy just adds to the fatigue that is already present, without the person gaining all of the benefits of doing the exercises.

Exercising in a pool, with the water about waist deep, can help much more in many cases of Multiple Sclerosis by:

* Supporting the weight of the body
* Reducing over exertion and fatigue to Multiple Sclerosis patients
* Cushioning the impact on the joints
* Strengthening the muscles by increasing water resistance, that the muscles need to work against .

The exercises that are chosen, to be used in aqua therapy for MS patients, are chosen to target and strengthen specific muscle groups that can help to increase balance, increase muscle strength, increase flexibility and help to build up stamina and endurance.

More doctors are also finding that aqua or water therapy can help those diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis walk again, because if you can’t walk on land, you can still walk in a pool. This is possible because the water supports the weight of the body and the body does not have to compete against the pull of gravity for a person to be able to stand up and walk. The pool has to be at least waist deep for the person to walk, but it allows the body to practice walking again, even if you haven't been able to walk for several years.

For more information on other Alternative and Natural ways that I have found that help to reduce the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis, go to: http://www.TamingMultipleSclerosis.com/ for more information.

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MS Physical Therapy: Physical and Other Therapies used for MS

Can MS physical therapy be used to help reduce the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis?

Doing intense physical therapy with those that have been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis can help to reduce symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis and help to improve how well these people can function in many ways.

Some of the symptoms of MS that Physical therapy can help to improve include the following:

* reduce spasticity
* increase muscle strength
* increase muscle mass
* improve overall physical balance
* improve how well a person can stand by improving balance during movement
* improve how long a person with MS can stand before they have to sit down and rest, by improving endurance and stamina.

Click on the link to find out more - MS physical therapy

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What are the Signs and Symptoms of MS?

What is Multiple Sclerosis?

Multiple Sclerosis is considered to be an “autoimmune disorder”.

What does that mean?

This means that somehow the body, particularly the immune system and the central nervous systems, become confused or scrambled. Basically, the nerve signals become confused and the signals become crossed, which results in the body attacking itself, as if it is a "foreign invader" that it must protect itself against, instead of the immune system supporting the body, fighting off infections, and defending against foreign invaders, as it should be doing.

The majority of people that are diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis fall between the ages of 18 to 45 years old, although the average is more between 25 and 35. Although people can be diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at just about any age, this is more the average as to when the signs of MS typically begin to appear. The incident rate of Multiple Sclerosis tends to be higher in the countries that are located in the temperate zones, both above and below the equator, away from the tropical regions of the globe. I think it is curious that the higher incident rate of Multiple Sclerosis, also tends to occur in the more industrialized countries, which have more chemical plants, that produce large quantities of man-made or synthetic chemicals.

What are the signs and symptoms of MS ?

Typical signs of ms include, memory problems (which are often discounted initially as “being forgetful”, or some standing, walking or balancing problems may begin to appear. Odd pains, tingling or numbness may also appear and disappear over a period of time, with no apparent pattern or frequency as to when they appear or disappear. Vision problems may start to appear that can include focus problems, double vision, dimness, or maybe even eye pain. Cognitive problems may also appear including problems figuring things out (numbers, concepts, problems, and the like) -- that were not a problem for the person before the symptoms of MS began to appear. It may also start happening that the person, that may have Multiple Sclerosis, that hasn't been diagnosed yet, might start having problems understanding what they read or with difficulty understanding what people say to them. This can also contribute to a slower response time or more difficulties driving a car. Overwhelming fatigue might occur and stay for a while or it may come and go off and on for a period of time. Bladder incontinence or bladder control problems may also begin to occur.

When do these signs and symptoms of MS become symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis?

Typically these early signs grouped together are part of what may cause doctors to consider testing to see if the person may have Multiple Sclerosis. One test for Multiple Sclerosis, that can be performed to determine if this person has signs of Multiple Sclerosis, is done using a Magnetic Resonace Imaging or MRI machine. A MRI machine is used to do a series of scans on he body, where the person being tested is placed in a tube like device that is mostly enclosed, that can be used to scan part or the whole entire body, if need be.

More often than not, the scans for MS are done on the Brain and the Spinal cord and are used to determine the diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. When the MRI testing is used for diagnosing MS, scarring appears on the films, and is most often seen as scarring in the brain or on the spinal cord. A spinal tap can also be performed, where fluid is drawn from the spine and is tested for the presence of protein markers, which are specific to the presence of Multiple Schlerosis.

If eye pain is also present, a retinal scan can also be performed to determine if scarring is present on the retinal nerve, which may be causing the eye pain. Typically, the patient is checked for brain tumors also, when the eye pain is present, to rule this out as a possibility or to differentiate between retinal scarring in MS compared to a brain tumor being present.

Once the person is diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, then the symptoms of ms are more officially labeled. Depending on how severe the scarring appears on the MRI test results, there may be a list of symptoms that can vary from mild to severe in intensity and frequency.

Next, the doctors consider what to do to treat Multiple Sclerosis symptoms.

Typically there are injectable drugs that are used for treating MS. But within the last 10 years, doctors are turning to more of a complimentary medical approach to treating Multiple Sclerosis, that includes the injectable drugs, along with intense physical therapy, dietary changes, vitamin and other food supplements, acupuncture, reflexology, massage therapy and a whole host of other Alternative and Natural ways to help reduce the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis.

For more information about what Alternative and Natural ways that I have found that reduce my symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis, go to http://www.TamingMultipleSclerosis.com to learn more.


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MS walking, standing and balancing?

Can those of us who have been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis walk again? That’s an interesting question that appears to have many answers. I was told by the doctors, after I was first diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis…

So, how does it feel to have an “incurable disease” ?

What can you say to people, who say these kinds of things to you? I’m not sure, but I do know that somehow all of the many different Alternative and Natural ways that I have tried, tested and still use for me, while working closely with my team of doctors, of course (each doctor has their own specialty) -- has been gradually helping to resolve many of the more severe symptoms of MS that I was experiencing after I was first diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

Is there a cure for Multiple Sclerosis?

I don’t know, but I figure anything that can help at all to relieve even some of my symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis -- is worth its weight in gold to me!

It can be difficult or sometimes it can seem almost impossible…on the worst days, to go on when your symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis are so severe and there appears…not to be any relief in sight. But I’m here to tell you, because I’m living proof, that we can’t just give up after we have been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, as if our lives are over. If we do that, we have much less of a chance of anything improving. Just keep fighting and searching for things that can help to relieve your own symptoms of MS and eventually you will find something that helps reduce your symptoms of MultipleSclerosis!

I’m NOT telling you to give up totally on doctors – that would be a very foolish thing to do. It’s just that there are so many different types of doctors out there, in the whole wide world that somehow, some way, we have to find the doctor (or doctors) that have more expertise and experience in working with whatever modality or way that you are considering pursuing as a potential way that may help to reduce your particular set of symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis.

I really believe that and I’m going to do what I can to give you much of the information about things that I have tried, tested and learned about, as far as the Alternative and Natural ways that are out there – that have helped me in the past, that CAN help to reduce even more of your particular set of symptoms of MS. It just might be that, along the way, this information might help you, working with your doctor of course, to help you find relief to your particular set of symptoms of MS too.

One thing that I MUST say is that any of the information that I discuss, about my particular case of Multiple Sclerosis, may not help everyone, because there is such a broad range of any combination of symptoms for each case of MS. No two cases are alike. This means that the information that I discuss has to be reviewed by your own licensed medical doctors and it needs to be decided by your own doctor, to determine if the information is an option for being used for your particular case of MS, for helping to reduce your symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis.

Because of my own “trial and error” period of time that I went through, while battling with a very severe case of Multiple Sclerosis -- I know what it is like -- firsthand – to be living with Multiple Sclerosis. My symptoms were so terrible for the first few years after I was diagnosed with MS, that I had so many days, that I just did not function. But in spite of all that I have been through, I’m determined to find whatever I can to help me be able to function again, even if it is a very gradual process for me to reach my goals, from a health point of view.
From a neurological point of view, my neurologist has determined, through performing another set of MRI tests on my spine that the major scarring, that was originally on my upper spine, is now totally gone – 12 years later!

The next phase is back to physical therapy. My neurologist sounds optimistic that sending me for intense physical therapy for 3 months, could improve how well I can balance, stand and walk. One step at a time, so to speak!

But in the process of what I have gone through, I have decided that I want to do what I can to let other people know more about what I have learned during my own battle with the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis, that has helped to reduce my symptoms of MS and helped to gradually restore more function to my body, in the hopes that it will help others find relief from their own symptoms of MS. I still struggle with some symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis from, day to day, but the symptoms that I do have more of a problem with most recently are not as severe or frequent as right after I was first diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

To find out more about what I have learned that has helped reduce the symptoms of MS, go to http://www.TamingMultipleSclerosis.com/ for information.

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MS Brain Exercise: Restoring Brain Function in MS

MS Brain: I have been told by the doctors that I have some scarring in my brain because of Multiple Sclerosis, but is there anything that can help to improve how well our brains function, regardless of the problems that Multiple Sclerosis lesions can cause to the Brain? The answer is YES!!

The statement “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” is pretty much what the medical community used to think about how our brains function. They used to think that the neural pathways in the brain developed as we aged, but after a certain point that the pathways became fixed and unchangeable. Medical science is changing their tune about this. There are a group of neureoscientists from different countries that came together for a joint effort project where they did further research on how the brain functions. What they found is that the brain can be retrained because it is more “plastic” and changeable than they thought before.

Multiple Sclerosis Brain Exercises can help to improve more than just the Brain, but how does this work?

Exercising the brain is like exercising muscles. If the brain is exercised in certain ways, that target particular parts of the brain, then the neural pathways can be redeveloped and retrained to make the brain actually work better. If done over a period of time these “Brain Exercises” can actually help the brain to become “stronger” or have more developed neural pathways that actually can help the brain, and the rest of the body start to function better again.

How does this help in the case of Multiple Sclerosis brain function problems?

This is good news for those that have been affected by the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis, because the brain is the master controller for the body because the brain sends signals to the rest of the body to tell it how to function. There are several things that can help retrain the brain in different ways, but some things need to be done in a doctor's office and some can be done at home.

Examples of what I am talking about are EEG Biofeedback and LENS (a different form of Biofeedback).

Both EEG and LENS Biofeedback are performed in a doctor's office. I've personally under gone periodic sessions with both EEG and LENS Biofeedbacks over a few years time and it has dramatically improved how well my brain has been functioning, from my first visit. EEG Biofeedback is performed by placing sensors on the forehead, while LENS is performed by placing sensors on the scalp in various locations on the head. Both EEG and LENS Biofeedbacks are used to stimulate and retrain the brain in different ways, depending on what is more helpful for the patient, based on their brain function problems. In EEG Biofeedback, the brain responses are amplified and fed to a computer program, specifically designed for use with EEG Biofeedback that uses graphical tracking of the brain response and tones to help retrain the brain's responses to increase them above a base reference line. If the response of the brain drops below the baseline, then a tone is given off. Either a movie or a video game can also be used during the EEG Biofeedback sessions, to help to retrain the brain, to increase the response of the brain.

Sessions of using the LENS, have been found to help improve the brain function and ability of the MS patient to function in different ways that can help the person improve with cognitive function, improve their ability to stand and balance, reduce the over reaction of the nervous system to stress, reduce the problems with one side of the body being weaker than the other, and help to reduce otherr symptoms that are typically associated with MS.

Another thing that I have found are a few software programs that you purchase and install on your computer that use brain exercises to retrain the brain that are targeted to help strengthen and improve how well different parts of the brain can function. This can be done at home, allowing you to be able to set your own schedule as to when and how often you have set for yourself to actually do these exercises. These brain exercises need to be done on a regular basis, just like working out at a gym, for the person to see any measureable results. The various brain exercises don't help as much if they are not done on a regular basis.

For more information about what Alternative and Natural ways that I have found that reduce symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis, go to http://www.TamingMultipleSclerosis.com/ to learn more.

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MS Brain: What Can Help to Reduce Cognitive Brain Function Problems Resulting from Multiple Sclerosis Attacking the Brain?

MS brain function problems can be a big problem for allowing us to be able to function from day to day after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

Multiple Sclerosis can cause scaring in the brain or possibly even some damage to the neurons in the brain, which can result in several sets of “symptoms” that can make it difficult to function each day. Daily tasks may become more difficult for the person who has been given the diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis, especially if the brain function problems are more moderate to severe.

Cognitive problems, which are often associated with the MS brain, can include misinterpreting what other people say to you, misinterpreting what you read, being easily confused by things that previously were relatively easy for you (prior to MS), scrambling what you see or read (dyslexia), losing track of what you are talking about in the middle of a sentence, being unable to figure things out (compared to before MS), in addition to memory problems (long term and short term) – to the point where you write yourself a To Do list and don’t remember that you even wrote the list!

These cognitive problems can be mild to severe in nature. Depending on how strongly you are affected, you may still be able to function on your own, to some degree, or you may need more assistance for some daily tasks. If you have more severe cognitive problems, you may end up being more disabled, either from a brain function point of view or maybe even physically disabled, making it difficult or almost impossible for you to function on your own.

How the brain functions can be affected by symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis, including how we can misinterpret the information that we take in through our 5 senses (seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching). Our brains are composed predominantly of a large concentration of nerve cells (possibly around 80 to 90 percent of the brain) and our bodies are at least 50 percent of nerve cells. Since MS can cause scarring or nerve damage throughout much of the body, this decreases how well our central nervous system, including the brain, can function enough to interpret the huge amount of information that enters into our brains through the outside world. If we misunderstand or misinterpret some or much of the information that our brains gather, on a daily basis, this can make it very difficult for us to understand the world around us and connect with people and all living and non-living things in the world that we live in.

This can also be unnerving and maybe even frightening for those of us battling with Multiple Sclerosis symptoms, depending on how mild or severe the scarring and/or nerve damage, resulting from MS is for each of our particular cases of Multiple Sclerosis. The scarring or nerve damage can block the signals from the brain to the other parts of the body, or it can even cause certain parts of the brain to function very little.

The medical community, overall, used to think that the brain became fixed in the way that it functioned as you grew older and this made it impossible to change anything when it came to how our brains tend to decline in functionality as both our bodies and our brains age. But within the last few years, medical research decided to test a different theory and what they found was astounding! The medical researchers have found, based on their own research, that the brain is much more “plastic”, than they thought that it was previously. They have found that the brain can be exercised, like a muscle and they have come up with a set of “Brain Exercises” that can help to retrain the brain.

This is GREAT news for those of us that have been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, because this means, that even if you have some scarring in your brain, as a result of the scarring caused by MS, the brain can be retrained and adapt to return functionality back to our brains by redeveloping neural pathways that allow the signals to travel between different parts of the brain to help it to function better again.

Click on the link to read more -- MS brain

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What Are Multiple Sclerosis Spasms, Multiple Sclerosis Tremors, and Multiple Sclerosis Twitching? Can Anything Help Reduce MS Spasticity?

What are Multiple Sclerosis Spasms, Multiple Sclerosis Twitching
or Multiple Sclerosis Tremors?

People diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis often have
questions about the MS spasms, twitches, tremors
or tics that they tend to get way too often.

Spasms, twitching, tremors or tics are pretty much
similar to each other, where there are uncontrollable
movements of the arms, legs, hands or feet that can
be anywhere from mild to severe in their intensity
or frequency.

The spasms, twitches or tremors can sometimes appear
in the shoulder, neck or face too, but this isn't as
common for the spasms to appear in these areas as
it is for the spasms to appear in the arms, legs,
hands or feet.

Involuntary means that the muscles can move
on their own, without any effort on your part
and without you being able to control these
movements.

This looks like the knee jerk response that you see
when a doctor checks your reflexes by tapping your
knee with a small rubber hammer.

Click on the link to read more -- Multiple Sclerosis spasms

Please leave us your comments and let us know
if you found this information helpful to you!

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MS Pain: Can anything Help Reduce the Pain?

MS Pain, or ms nerve pain -- in my opinion, is one of the toughest symptoms to “live with” that can be associated with some cases of Multiple Sclerosis

It appears that sometimes the scarring that remains after MS attacks the nerves throughout the brain and the spinal cord, or maybe even any other nerves throughout the body, can sometimes result in an over stimulation of nerves. This over reactive response of the nerves can cause a feedback type affect, that over stimulates the pain center of the brain and can result in intense MS nerve pain.

Click on the link to read more -- MS pain

If you have any comments, suggestions or tips that may also help with helping to find ways to reduce MS pain, leave us a comment to help others find relief to the pain that they may be experiencing because of Multiple Sclerosis.

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What are the Effects of MS on Vision?

What Multiple Sclerosis Vision problems are commonly reported after people have been diagnosed with MS?

MS Vision problems can include problems with focusing, dimness of your vision (it appears like someone turned the lights down very low -- making it difficult to see), foggy vision (you’re looking through a fog), double vision or over strained eyes and difficulty focusing. To compound the eye problem, if certain other conditions, like candida albicans, are also part of your particular case of MS, then floating fuzz before your eyes can also be present. If any of these symptoms persist or become bothersome, see your medical doctor and ask which type of scans can be performed to test your optic nerves to see if damage or any scarring to the optic nerve may be present. Also discuss with your doctor if an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) test is needed to scan the brain for the presence of MS scarring to see if there is scarring present in the parts of the brain that may trigger eye pain that you can also be battling with.

What are the Multiple Sclerosis Eye problems that can be associated with MS? In addition to Vision problems, MS can also cause other Eye problems, including MS eye pain and possible scarring or maybe even nerve damage to the optic nerve, that can also affect vision.

Eye pain by itself, is not necessarily MultipleSclerosis, since there are other conditions that can also involve eye pain, but if you haven’t been diagnosed with MS and you have other symptoms, besides the eye pain, you should see a doctor to be evaluated to see if Multiple Schlerosis may be the cause of your symptoms. Doctors use MRI testing to evaluated people to determine if scarring is present in the brain or on the myelin sheath on the spinal cord (this is called demyelinization of the spinal cord).

Multiple Sclerosis is the term that is used, when multiple plaques or scarring is present in the brain, on the spinal cord or is present in other nerves thoughout the body, that can sometimes include the retinal nerve. Often Muliple Sclerosis can attack the myelin sheath that protects and insulates the spinal cord and cause demyelinization that results in the presence of scarring to the damaged nerves.

If you have already been diagnosed with MS, there may or may not be scarring present in the optic nerve. Sometimes MS brain scarring results from the M S attacking nerves throughout the body, that can be almost anywhere in the body.  M S can even attack and cause damage to the optic nerve. This can either create scarring that interferes with the signal from the brain to the eyes that can cause problems with vision or the damage caused by Multiple Scerosis can cause the nerve signals to become confused and over stimulated, resulting in MS eye pain.  The eye pain can result, even if there is no visible scarring on any of the test results for the optic nerve itself.

I, myslf, first experienced eye pain, just before I was given the Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis. After I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, the doctors had a scan done on both of my optic nerves, to see if any scarring was present.  The retinal scans revealed that there was no scarring with my optic nerves.

When I had the scan done for testing my retinal nerves, the test was performed by having me sit in front of a monitor, which had changing patterns, colors and shapes on the screen that were flashing. This was to test the response of my optic nerves. Since technology is advancing so quickly, the test itself most likely is different now, than when I had it performed on me.

Can anything be done to help reduce MS vision problems that are often associated with MS? Well, I have tried many things to deal with what I went through. I found that taking the herb, Bilberry, helps to improve blood flow to the eyes, reducing the problems with the dimness. Taking the green sea algae, called, Chlorella, also helped. I also found out within the first few years of my diagnosis of MS, that I had a problem with elevated levels of Mercury (a heavy metal) and taking the Chorella helps to reduce the levels of heavy metals in our bodies, especially mercury. Mercury, at higher levels in our bodies, loves to attack nerves and it can also nerve damage, similar to the nerve damage that occurs in most cases of MS.

Our brains have no way to detoxify for toxins, including heavy metals. Our brains are protected by what is called the Blood Brain Barrier (BBB) to prevent toxins from attacking the brain. The Blood Brain Barrier is a membrane that surrounds the brain. If the BBB is damaged, then heavy metals and other toxins can enter the brain and wreak havoc on the brain. Heavy metals can attack nerve tissue and cause nerve damage, with mercury being the worst offender. Elevated levels of mercury, a heavy metal, can punch holes in the BBB, and allow other toxins to enter into the brain. This is not a good thing, since the brain has no natural ways of detoxifying from toxins that can enter the brain, once the BBB has been compromised. This damage to the BBB because of mercury attacking the nerves throughout the body, may possibly set our brains up for the scarring that is seen on ms brain mri tests, but no one really knows this for sure.

Was this information helpful?

To learn more about what I have learned that has helped reduce my symptoms of MS, go to http://www.TamingMultipleSclerosis.com/ for information.


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Skin Care and MS: Is this Really that Important?

It is very important for those of us who have been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis to do all that we can to take good care of our skin. This may not sound that important, but it is very important because healthy skin is our main barrier to protect us against infection. Since the majority of the people, which have been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, already have a compromised immune system or weakened immune system, it is especially important for us to do all that we can to minimize or reduce how often we tend to get infections. I realize that we just can’t go around being germ-a-phobic or paranoid about germs, since it is difficult to avoid living conditions that promote the presence or growth of germs, but we need to do what we can to minimize this potential problem for us.

If you have a problem with the skin on your arms, hands, legs or feet drying out and cracking, this sets you up to allow infection to have a direct way through the skin to enter your body and give set you up for frequent infections. Since those that have the symptoms of ms have a weakened immune system, this can set us up for experiencing a vicious cycle of one infection after the other, if we do what we can to take care of our skin.

I don’t know about you and your particular case of Multiple Sclerosis, but I have had a few periods of time where I had one infection after the other for 3 to 6 months at a time and whenever this occurred, I was not able to function enough to be able to do much of anything. What happens with MS is that our immune systems don’t recover very well after each infection we have and if we get a second infection and then a third, one after the other, this sets us up for a “snowball” type of effect that is a horrible vicious cycle that is difficult to break.

Taking antibiotics too often, creates another problem, sice this causes our bodies to become restant to the antibiotics so that they are much less effective in killing the infections. We need to do what we can to minimize infections and find other ways to boost our immune systems so that we don't need to take antibitics as ofen. This is NOT to say that we should avoid taking antibiotics, but I take more of the approach that the use of antibiotics should be more limited (if possible) to use for the more severe infections so that they are effective when we need them the most to come to our aid. I have been fighting against this problem for 12 years and I would like to do what I can to give you a few tips that may help ease this problem, as much as possible -- because it’s no fun when this visicous cycle of one infection after the other occurs.

What can help to reduce this problem of frequent infections?

I have found that first and foremost we need to take care of our skin every day. Washing as much of your skin every day with soap and water is a good start. Pay special attention to thoroughly wash your legs and feet. While doing this thorough cleaning of the skin, pay special attention to any cuts, scrapes or cracks in the skin. If you note any of these, wash the area thoroughly with soap and water, being sure to rinse off the soap, dry the area well and put some type of covering over it (bandage or gauze pads). If you need it, you can also use triple antibiotic ointment on the cut before bandaging it to prevent infection. If the skin around the cut appears to be inflamed or red, wash and dry the area and put the triple antibiotic ointment on it and keep it bandaged for a few days until it heals (make sure you change the bandage each day and clean it off each time and reapply the ointment).

Okay, what if you have dried out skin that is cracking, can anything help to reduce or prevent this from happening? I have tried all kinds of things for this problem, since I tend to have a much bigger problem with the skin on my hands and feet cracking during the winter months. I have tried all kinds of skin creams, lotions, etc. and none of these things helped much. So, try what I found that helps me, to see if it can help to resolve any problems you are experiencing with your skin drying out or cracking.

First, drink at least half a gallon (1.895 Liters - sorry, I don’t think in Liters) of water each day. If you tend to drink more water each day, that’s okay, just keep it less than 1 gallon (3.79 Liters) for each day. If you have any problems with either of your kidneys not functioning very well try to drink half a gallon 1.895 Liters) a day as a maximum. Tea, coffee and soft drinks don’t count, when you are figuring out how much water that you drank for the day. Tea and coffee can actually dehydrate the body, when consumed in larger quantities, and can add extra to the amount of water that your body needs for the day, to make up the difference.

Our public drinking water, where I live, definitely has chemicals in it (like chlorine, iodine, bromine and who knows what else) and it smells like chemicals. Should you drink bottled water? I don’t know that doing this is that much better. A better solution than purchasing bottled water is to get a combination reverse osmosis water filtering system that is called a “whole house” system. This means that where the water supply enters your house if where the filtering system should be installed. If you have well water, instead of public water, it might be a good idea to have your well water tested to see, generally speaking, what may be in your well water that should be removed. The type of filter needed, will be determined, based on the results of the laboratory analysis, to help you to decide what kind of filter that you will need.

Next, add extra virgin coconut oil daily to your food. This is easier to do if the food is hot, since this type of oil tends to be solid at room temperature (unless it’s above 85 degrees Fahrenheit) in the room or outside. I have found that 1 to 2 Tablespoon a day of organic extra virgin coconut oil helps me the best, but you have to determine for you how much it appears that you need to use. Adding extra virgin coconut oil to your diet will help to lubricate the skin from the inside out and as an added benefit, coconut oil helps the body to have an easier time digesting the other fats that you eat. If you have a more severe problem with the skin cracking, I would suggest adding the extra virgin coconut oil to your food, as well as spreading the coconut oil on your legs or where ever your skin is dry before going to bed at night.

I have tried all kinds of creams, lotions and ointments, before, but for me, even the vitamin E oil that was suggested to me a few times, did not help with relieving the problem that I had with my skin on my hands drying out and cracking. The extra virgin coconut oil works much better than anything else than I have tried, but if possible I suggest getting it organic, if you can, and purchasing it with nothing else added to it.

To find out more about what I have learned that has helped reduce the symptoms of MS, go to http://www.TamingMultipleSclerosis.com/ for information.

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What we Focus on is Everything, when it comes to MS

Sometimes, on the days where the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis become so out of control, it can become unbearable or down right discouraging to “deal with” or “live with” the symptoms of ms. What can we do to get through the really tough times where we just feel like throwing in the towel? I don’t know about you, but I find that it can be very difficult for me to “look on the positive side”, when my health just seems to be spinning out of control. Sometimes I feel very frustrated or I just feel like screaming “It is NOT fair!” Other times I just feel like sitting down and “have a good cry” or I just want to find a way to escape the times that it’s been a total nightmare because of what I have struggled with, while dealing with the symptoms of ms.

But, I finally decided, that for me, it’s okay to have a few days off and on where I feel like I am just “melting down” or “losing it” or whatever you call it. But as long as I do not stay “stuck” in these negative states of mind most of the time, this is okay. Just let it be okay, when you are not having a good day, rather than stress out about “what you can't do today”. I know it is easier said than done, since I am guilty so often of not “letting it be okay” when I’m doing less than my best or I am just having “one of those days" (or maybe even "one of those months"?) where I’m not functioning very well because of my symptoms of multiple sclerosis going crazy again. But, I’m working on being more positive more often and you need to work on this too, since sometimes this is easier said than done. It is do-able for you and me to focus our minds and our energies on the positive, instead of the negative. Being positive also helps to calm down the nervous system and boost the response of the immune system, which also helps, those of us with Multiple Sclerosis, to fight off infections more easily and to reduce how severe and how frequent our symptoms of ms can become.

But I have been thinking more about things lately...about how what we focus our minds on has a HUGE impact on our bodies, as far as how our bodies respond to what is going on around us and even inside of us. Somehow our bodies listen to everything that we think about, everything that we say, everything that we hear, everything that we feel and even everything that we choose to believe. I have tested my theory about this several times with both myself and other people in my life over a more extended period of time and I keep coming back to this conclusion – that we need to listen to the signals that our bodies give us that something is just too much for us to handle or it’s time to just rest and replenish, rather than “stressing out” over everything.

Have you ever noticed that so often what we focus on is what we tend to get? How does this work, anyway? I find that sometimes what we focus our thoughts and energies on is a “self fulfilling prophecy”, where we tend to get what we think will happen to us. What we believe, about how we view the world around us and how we interpret the large amount of information that comes in through our 5 senses, changes how our bodies react to everything. If, for one reason or another, we don’t think that we deserve things to go well in our lives, they most likely won’t, since we automatically distort the information that we take in through our 5 senses to “fit” into what we already believe. We automatically, without thinking about it, form a picture in our minds or internally form a picture of how we define everything that we encounter in the world around us. This is how this “self fulfilling prophecy” thing works.

If we change what we focus our thoughts and energies on, we change the outcome. After all, if we think continuously about how terrible we feel on the days that our symptoms of multiple sclerosis flare up, than it actually makes us feel worse. If we focus our minds or “set our minds” on what we CAN do each day or on something more positive each day, then it really can help the tougher days to not be as bad as they could be. As you continue on your quest to wellness, while dealing with the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis, remember this one thing – YOU are NOT ALONE in dealing with the symptoms of multiple sclerosis!

I understand how difficult dealing with the symptoms of ms can be, since I have been battling with a more severe case of Multiple Sclerosis for 12 years. But I want you to know that there are things out there, some of which I have found, that can help to reduce your symptoms of ms. My neurologist told me around a month ago, that from a neurological point of view that I AM getting better! I have found Alternative and Natural ways that help to reduce the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis!

To learn more about what I have learned that has helped reduce my symptoms of MS, go to http://www.TamingMultipleSclerosis.com/ for information.

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What can Cause the Fatigue with MS?

Multiple Sclerosis Fatigue or extreme exhaustion is one of the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis that I often struggle with. Why is this particular symptom such a big problem with most cases of Multiple Sclerosis? What can set us up for the fatigue or exhaustion to be so overwhelming? I have been asking the doctors this same question myself, since I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

The explanations that the doctors have given me, when discussing my symptoms of ms with me included allergies (food, mold, dust, pollen, trees, grasses and pets). I recently had allergy testing done, as far as dusts and molds that went further than just testing to see which dust and mold allergens that I've recently been reacting to. This doctor actually had tests done to see what my level of response to known allergens was. Based on the test results a serum was made up specifically for me to take twice a week to help to reduce and actually neutralize my over reaction to the allergens and help to build up my body's immune system so that over time my reaction to the allergens become less and less. Of course avoiding the potential source of the allergen, as much as possible, is also important for me to do to help my over reactive immune system to calm down.

Other potential problems that we may have, that also can contribute to the often extreme fatigue that is associated with Multiple Sclerosis, can include low levels of the hormones produced by the thyroid and adrenal glands, problems with your body not producing enough of certain enzymes and vitamin deficiencies. There are also other contributing factors to the fatigue that is a symptom of MS, but the ones that I already mentioned appear to be more common sources of much of the fatigue problem. Check with your doctor for you to be evaluated for your specific case of MS to determine what could be causing the fatigue that you are experiencing as a symptom of your Multiple Sclerosis.

Do you find this post to be helpful?

To find out more about what I have learned that has helped reduce the symptoms of MS, go to http://www.TamingMultipleSclerosis.com/ for more information.

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Brain Fog and MS...Have you had this Symptom too?

One of the ms symptoms, which have been a much bigger problem for me lately, is often called “Brain Fog”. If you have had a problem with brain fog ms, then you know how having this symptom can cause you to feel like you just can’t think straight and things just don’t register with you that are going on around you. This makes it very difficult to function much during these days, when the Brain Fog appears, since the brain affects so much of how the body works like it should.

How do you function with this particular symptom of ms, that can be a big problem -- after you have be diagnosed with ms? Well, first I do what I can to try different things to see what will work for me to help relieve this symptom, as much as I can. While working with my doctors, we were able to find a few things that do help to reduce this symptom for me, but I guess it depends on what may be causing this symptom itself, as to what can work to help reduce the Brain Fog for others that have been diagnosed with MS. Since MS makes our bodies less able to get rid of toxins, there may be a large group of things setting up our bodies for this symptom, although the doctors aren't so sure of what all are possible toxins, that can actually cause this type of ms symptom.

The liver is our main detoxifying organ in our bodies. Eating raw garlic helps the liver work better to aid our bodies in removing toxins, that can also help to reduce the Brain Fog. If you don’t like to end up with garlic breathe, I have found that eating the actual plant of the green herb parsley can help to deodorize the breathe and reduce the strong garlic breathe, that can result after eating larger quantities of raw garlic. Eating greens, such as kale, spinach, celery, dandelion greens, par and the like can also help to alkalize the body, help provide extra of certain nutrients to help to boost the immune system and help the body to detoxify more easily.

There are also food supplements, such as Chlorella and Dandelion, to name a few, that I have found that help to remove toxins from the body and ease the stress on the liver. These food supplements may not be effective for everyone that has been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and you should ask your doctor if this may be something that can be taken by you before you try it. Using the herb, Cilantro, to make an herbal tea can also help to remove heavy metals from the body that may also contribute to Brain Fog in Multiple Sclerosis. Eating more fiber helps too, since it helps our bodies do a better job at removing toxic substance through bowel movements. Ground Flaxseeds are a good source of fiber and omega-3 fats, that people that have been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis are often deficient in.

Sometimes, not much of anything appears to help reduce the Brain Fog, that is a symptom of Multiple Sclerosis. On the days that this happens, I just let those days be the days that I rest, replenish and allow my body to relax instead of stressing out my system any further. Because of the extreme fatigue that also tends to accompany Multiple Sclerosis, it isn't such a bad idea to allow our bodies more time to rest, periodically, to allow our bodies to replenish and recover from the other physical activities and exercise that we often do from day to day.

If “Brain Fog” is one of the symptoms of ms that you also struggle with some days…

What is your experience with this and how do you “deal with it”?

I'd love to know more about your experiences with "Brain Fog" and Multiple Sclerosis.

To find out more about what I have learned that has helped reduce my symptoms of MS, go to http://www.TamingMultipleSclerosis.com/ for information.

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MS Exercise: Can Doing Exercises Help Reduce the Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms?

Can MS Exercise benefit those of us with Multiple Sclerosis by helping to reduce the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis?

We often hear about how doing exercises can help keep our bodies more physically fit by helping to increase flexibility, increase balance, and increase muscle strength and muscle mass, but how does any of this help those of us that have been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis?

Click on the link to read more -- MS exercise.

If you have found any of this informaton to be helpful, or if you disagree with any of the information included here, leave us your comments and let us know what you think!

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