What treatments are available?

There is no cure for MS at the moment, but there are a number of treatments available which may help. These divide into two groups;

• Symptomatic Therapies and
• Disease Modifying Drugs (DMDs)

Symptomatic Therapies

What are symptomatic therapies?

A symptom is the feeling which a person with MS describes that they are having in relation to their disease. Some symptoms are not necessarily associated with something clearly visible to other people. For example, the most common symptom which people with MS suffer from is fatigue.

On the other hand other symptoms such as weakness, stiffness and spasms in the legs are usually accompanied by outwardly visible signs.

Symptomatic therapies are aimed at helping with or reducing symptoms that occur as a result of MS or its treatment. They include physical therapies, for example physiotherapy, occupational therapy, exercise, and emotional therapies like cognitive behavioural therapy. They also include a wide range of medication. In particular, drugs called corticosteroids are frequently used to relieve the symptoms associated with relapses.

Symptomatic therapies do not prevent or reduce the severity of relapses or prevent, delay or slow down the development of progressive MS. And that's the main difference between symptomatic therapies and the Disease Modifying Drugs you are considering.