Library Articles

Getting the Most Out of Your Medical Visit

By: David Rintell, EdD & Lynn Stazzone, RN, BSN, MSN, NP

Stay healthier by becoming an active member of your own healthcare team! Multiple sclerosis is a complex neurological disease which often changes over time. There are now many treatments which can modify the disease, called DMTs or disease modifying treatments. There are also many treatments which help to improve or alleviate symptoms. Although the new treatment options are hopeful, understanding all of the potential benefits and risks to these treatments can sometimes be overwhelming.

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Communication is a Two-Way Street

By: Beth Bullard, OTR & Rosalind Kalb, PhD

Healthy productive communication abilities are not inherent. They are learned and developed. Our life experiences frame the foundation for how we perceive each other and form relationships. Healthy relationships depend on good communication, mutual respect and trust. Communication is far more than the words we speak. The way we say the words and how they are received impact the success of the message. When we are able to communicate effectively, we connect, and these connections establish and strengthen our relationships.

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Update Your Outlook on Progressive MS

By: Rosalind Kalb, PhD & Patricia Kennedy, RN, CNP, MSCN

The words “progressive MS” can set off alarm bells. No one wants to hear that his or her MS is, or has become, progressive. The term “progressive MS” applies to different aspects of the disease, and it helps to know how it is being used. Approximately 85% of people are initially diagnosed with Relapsing-Remitting MS. At some point in their disease course, typically after 10-15 years, relapses become less frequent or stop occurring completely, the disease progresses more consistently but not necessarily more rapidly, and changes in function become more pronounced.

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