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 three groups;

• Symptomatic Therapies
• Treatments for relapses, and
• Disease Modifying Drugs (DMDs)

Symptomatic Therapies

A symptom is the feeling which a person with MS describes that they are having in relation to their disease. MS can have a wide range of symptoms, though very few people develop all of them. Some symptoms are invisible to other people - for example, the most common symptom which people with MS suffer from is fatigue. Other symptoms include things like muscle weakness, stiffness and spasms.

Symptomatic therapies are treatments which can help with symptoms that occur as a result of MS or its treatment. They include a wide range of medication, physical therapies, for example physiotherapy, occupational therapy, exercise, and emotional therapies like cognitive behavioural therapy.

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.

Treatment for relapses

Medications, in particular drugs called corticosteroids or steroids are often given to help during relapses. Steroids are thought to shorten the duration of the relapse by reducing the inflammation. They are also thought to stop the leakage of harmful blood cells into the central nervous system.