Can Do MS

The current recommendation is for everyone with MS to have a brief cognitive screening and a brief screening for depression...

Comprehensive MS care attends to many aspects of your health and well-being. Participating together with your healthcare providers...

The process of making treatment decisions collaboratively with your healthcare providers is called “shared decision making.”

Changes in bowel function are common in MS – with the most common being constipation.

Anger is a very powerful emotion. It can give us energy and strength to problem solve and move forward, or it can paralyze our thoughts...

Finding ways to stay active, engage in sports, or continue playing on their favorite team is a priority for many people with MS. Learning what’s possible as well as safe can help you keep your life as full and fun as you want it to be.

Calendars come in all shapes and sizes, as well as paper electronic versions. What they all have in common is this – their usefulness depends on how you and your calendar interact

Chores – whether the indoor or outdoor kind – can sap your energy to the point that there’s not much left for the fun stuff. Think bed-making, vacuuming, laundry sorting, grocery shopping, lawn mowing, snow shoveling – and you’ll agree that nothing takes more out of you than these necessary chores.

Like other MS symptoms, pain is different for each person, and each person may experience various types of pain at one time or another. It’s important to know the terms used to describe the types of pain that can occur in MS and be able to describe your pain to your healthcare provider(s).

Managing pain in MS often requires a multi-step approach, involving different types of interventions by a multi-disciplinary team. In other words, it may require time, some patience on your part, and a willingness to advocate for yourself by clearly describing the pain(s) you are experiencing, the timing and intensity of that pain, and any triggers that seem to make your pain worse.

Pain is one of the most common “invisible” symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), affecting approximately two-thirds of people with MS over the course of their lives, and approximately half of people with MS at any given time. Despite the high prevalence of pain in MS, less than one-third of patients report receiving treatment to specifically address their pain. Routine assessment and comprehensive...

We need and want a lot from our healthcare providers. Expertise, a great “bedside manner,” responsiveness, a friendly office staff, convenience, and accessibility in the parking lot, office, and bathroom are all important. But each of us has different priorities – so figuring out what matters most to you will make it easier to find the provider you need.

Could a change in diet make a difference for people with multiple sclerosis (MS)? Could it reduce MS-related fatigue? Could it improve quality of life or reduce the number of enhancing lesions on MRI? Should prescribing a diet for people with MS be part of overall care? These are questions that Dr. Terry Wahls and her team are trying to answer.

Getting through everyday activities can be tiring and frustrating without the right tools and adaptations. Moving around, reaching for things, and manipulating equipment in your home or office can all pose challenges when you have multiple sclerosis.

Visual symptoms are often a person’s first symptom of MS – the one that prompts a visit to the eye doctor or neurologist and, eventually, an MS diagnosis. Learn some visual compensatory strategies to maximize your ability to function independently and safely.

MS can take away your sense of personal control -- over your vision, walking ability, thinking and memory. But losing control of your bladder and bowel function -- which you worked hard to master as a very young child -- is tough to take. So learning how MS affects bladder and bowel function -- and what you can do about it -- is the first step toward taking back control.

Mood changes and MS are intertwined in complex ways. In this article, we’ll look at the kinds of mood changes that can occur, why they matter, and what can be done to manage them.

There are plenty of ways to manage cognitive changes, whether it’s forgetfulness, slowed thinking, or trouble focusing. This article has 12 tips to help you with changes in your thinking, attention, and memory.

Fatigue is a reality when you live with MS, but there are ways to solve the puzzle! You can reduce that fatigue, manage the energy you have more effectively, and get the things done that matter to you.

You’ve probably heard it before, but let’s say it again: exercise and physical activity are very beneficial for people with MS! If you want to try an exercise program that is accessible, adaptable, on-demand in your own home, fun, and accountable, check out MS Moves With Mandy!

You might already have success with certain aspects of a healthy diet, but often, there are still some specific areas that we can improve upon. Your doctor might have identified these focus areas for you, or they may be based on how different foods make you feel. Whether it’s achieving a healthy BMI, lowering your cholesterol, getting enough nutritious food for your activity level, or any other go...

Researchers are working to learn more about virtually every aspect of MS care and management. While more is learned every day about treatments to manage the MS disease process, other research efforts look at ways to improve a person’s wellbeing and quality of life.

Depression and anxiety are very common symptoms that people living with MS can experience. 20% of those with MS experience these symptoms as compared to 5% of the general population. Meanwhile, living with MS is stressful. All of these factors can make it difficult to stay in a good mood. Thankfully, exercise is a proven way to feel better, boost your mood and combat depression and anxiety!

Have you felt stretched, tired, and exhausted trying to adjust to the changing landscape of work and life since the COVID-19 pandemic began? If so, you might not be alone. Here are some tips and tricks to deal with stress, and strategies for unwinding and recharging.

As we head into the winter months, it’s important to consider how the changes to the outside environment may impact your activities and personal wellbeing. Remember that maintaining a consistent schedule with nutritious meals, exercise, social engagement, and sleep is important to overall health.