RealTalk MS

Some people call them flares , some people call them exacerbations , and some people call them MS attacks . But all those terms refer to the very same thing -- an MS relapse. What does a relapse really mean in terms of disease progression? What's the difference between a relapse and a pseudo-relapse? How does pregnancy make you less likely to experience a relapse and then more likely to experience...

The challenge of living with MS often begins with the challenge of getting a timely and accurate diagnosis. There are no symptoms, physical findings, or laboratory tests that can, by themselves, determine if someone has MS, and the most common symptoms of MS can often resemble symptoms of other conditions. All of these variables can sometimes lead to patients getting the wrong diagnosis. Dr. Andre...

As the United States begins to move past the pandemic and toward something much closer to life as we once knew it, I've received a lot of questions from members of the RealTalk MS listener community who are concerned about how their disease-modifying therapy may affect the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine, whether the authorized vaccines will protect them from variants, and whether they should con...

When Pierluigi Montovani saw what was available to help his father rehabilitate his MS-related foot drop, he was motivated to invent something better. Pierluigi recruited a couple of friends and their efforts led to a breakthrough solution for foot drop that was declared the winner of the Lyfebulb and Bristol Myers Squibb Addressing Unmet Needs in MS: Innovation Challenge . Pierluigi joins me as m...

The COVID-19 pandemic has created what experts are calling a mental health crisis of unparalleled proportion. Many people affected by MS have had to add pandemic-related stresses and anxieties to the already existing anxieties that come from living with a chronic illness. And that's a lot to carry around every day. Joining me to talk about managing your mood and quieting some of the noise in your...

This special episode of RealTalk MS is sponsored by EMD Serono and MS in the 21st Century . In today's episode, we're talking about empowering people living with MS to become full partners in their MS treatment and the importance of good communication between patients and their doctors. We're also introducing MS in the 21st Century , a resource that has just recently been made available to the MS...

In today's special episode of RealTalk MS, Dr. Michael Kornberg is going to give us a glimpse into emerging research and the future of MS treatments. So, if you'd like to peer into the not-too-distant future for a preview of the new MS therapies that will be available to you, this is the conversation you're looking for.   Dr. Kornberg is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Johns Hopkins Uni...

With 200 million Americans having already received their COVID-19 vaccination, public health officials are warning that vaccine hesitancy is a growing challenge to our nation's ability to fully bounce back from the pandemic and resume something resembling the life we once knew.  If what you're seeing and hearing about the COVID vaccines on social media or from well-meaning friends and family is ma...

Their website says that Destination Rehab takes an " innovative, out-of-the-box approach to physical therapy ." This week, my guests are Sally McAllister and the founder of Destination Rehab, Dr. Carol-Ann Nelson. Sally is 70 years old and living with primary progressive MS. We're talking about how Sally's work with Dr. Nelson produced life-changing results. We're also talking about the first stud...

MS affects almost 3 times as many women as men. Have you ever wondered why? When it comes to investigating sex differences in MS, my guest, Dr. Rhonda Voskuhl, has done more than just think about it. And her recent research may have uncovered an MS treatment for women undergoing menopause. Dr. Voskuhl is the President-elect of the International Organization for the Study of Sex Differences and the...

More than half of all the people living with MS will develop problems with cognition. And while experiencing cognitive dysfunction can be challenging and frustrating, these kinds of changes can also be frightening. Joining me to talk about things you can do to better manage cognitive changes and preserve healthy cognition is neuroscientist and neuropsychologist, Dr. Victoria Leavitt. We're also ta...

About 80% of the people with relapsing-remitting MS will eventually be diagnosed with secondary progressive MS. At that point, their remissions stop and their MS symptoms continue to worsen. And about 15% of the people diagnosed with MS are diagnosed from the beginning with primary progressive MS. So identifying ways to optimally treat progressive MS is a priority.    Joining me with updates on pr...

Living through a lockdown can be challenging, and it's resilience that helps us get through life's challenges and recover from setbacks. And while resilience may have become a new topic of conversation for the world at large, when you're living with the uncertainty of MS, you come to realize that resilience is one of the most important tools in your self-care toolbox.     Joining me to talk about...

We're less than one week away from the National MS Society's Public Policy Conference. This year, the Public Policy Conference is virtual, which means that you have an opportunity to attend and learn how you can advocate for change on important policy issues affecting the MS community.       Joining me to talk about the Public Policy Conference and the issues that MS Activists will be discussing w...

It's MS Awareness Week and we're talking with two remarkable women, Sarah Quezada and Tracey Cooper-Harris, who are living their lives out loud, refusing to let MS define them.  We're also inviting you to participate in the first-ever RealTalk MS Listener Survey ( and be entered into a drawing for a $100 Amazon Gift Card! ). We'll share research announced at the recent ACTRIMS Forum that explores...

When it comes to accessing care and even the disease course itself, MS is not an equal-opportunity disease. We're talking with Dr. Mitzi Joi Williams about the disparities that affect members of minority populations who are living with MS.     Dr. Williams is a Board-Certified Neurologist and Multiple Sclerosis Specialist who is passionate about educating and empowering people affected by MS to un...

Welcome to a bonus ACTRIMS Forum 2021 episode of RealTalk MS.  ACTRIMS is an acronym that stands for the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis and this year, the ACTRIMS Forum is a virtual meeting, bringing together over 1700 MS research scientists and clinicians to share the latest MS research news and insights.     We'll take you inside the proceedings at ACTRIMS an...

If you spend more than a minute on social media it can seem like there's more misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines than there is legitimate, fact-based information.  And I've heard it said that if you repeat a lie enough, it becomes the truth. So we're doing some major COVID-19 vaccine myth-busting with Dr. Scott Newsome.     Dr. Newsome is an Associate Professor of Neurology and Director of...

A fulfilling sexual relationship with your partner can have a positive impact on your physical and mental health in a variety of ways. But studies suggest that about 80% of the people living with MS are affected by some kind of sexual dysfunction. We're devoting this entire episode of RealTalk MS to talking about sex and MS with my guest, Dr. Linda Mona.     Dr. Mona is a licensed clinical psychol...

The National MS Society has updated their COVID-19 vaccine guidance for people living with MS, providing detailed recommendations for timing your disease-modifying therapy with the two COVID-19 vaccines that are approved in the U.S. If you're on a disease-modifying therapy and you've been wondering about your DMT and the COVID-19 vaccines, this episode is for you.     My guest this week is Dr. Jai...

Research has shown that, for people living with MS, regular exercise and physical activity can improve their quality of life while helping to manage MS symptoms.   But research has also shown that people living with MS tend to be less active than people in the general population. In response, the National MS Society convened a group of experts to develop fact-based guidance for promoting exercise...

Paleo...Wahls...Swank...Mediterranean...intermittent fasting. Is there such a thing as "The MS Diet"? Joining me to offer an expert opinion about diet and MS is Dr. Ilana Katz Sand, the Associate Director of the Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for MS and Co-Director of the Center's Wellness Program.     Dr. Katz Sand's recent and current research studies include a clinical trial of dietary inte...

As Chair of the National MS Society's National Medical Advisory Committee, Dr. Nancy Sicotte led the expert task force that the MS Society convened to develop the COVID-19 vaccine guidance for people living with MS. Dr. Sicotte is returning to RealTalk MS to answer your questions about the vaccine and MS.      Dr. Sicotte is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurology at Cedars-Sinai Medi...

The National MS Society has issued its initial COVID-19 vaccine guidance for people living with MS and we're covering every detail of this anxiously awaited and important announcement.   We're also taking a look back with Dr. Barbara Giesser at some of the things that made life better for people living with MS in 2020.   We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! National MS Soc...

Research creates the future for people affected by MS. And clinical research can't happen without your participation. Joining me as my guest is Sara Loud, the CEO of iConquerMS, the people-powered-research network that puts you at the center of MS research.   We're also celebrating a whole list of MS advocacy wins that will translate into making life better for people living with MS in the United...