Now Available – The Latest Edition of The Motivator

Posted on May 9, 2022 by John MSAA

Motivator magazine latest issue cover and imagery depicting people participating in artistic hobbies

Having a hobby can be one of the most rewarding aspects of day-to-day life. Discovering something that you are passionate about and can do in your free time is an invaluable way to enrich your life for the better.

In our latest edition of The Motivator magazine, “The Therapeutic Value of the Arts” is explored. In this cover story, we discuss how participating in the arts can benefit individuals both mentally and physically, leading to a more positive outlook and a better quality of life. Art therapists, music therapists, and other types of therapists have worked with individuals with MS and have achieved very positive results. Music, art, photography, and writing are all explored as avenues of creativity that members of the MS community can enjoy, no matter their skill level.

Continue reading →

A New Year Ahead

Posted on December 13, 2021 by Angel Blair

I don’t know if it’s just me, but I’m having a hard time believing that we’ll be in a new year soon. Regardless, 2022 is rapidly approaching with each passing day. It feels like time has gone by more quickly, even during a pandemic, and that we’ve just flown through this past year at lightning speed. Luckily 2021 brought with it more hope and opportunity than the previous year. With its vaccine availability we were able to start doing more and seeing people again. The virus has not gone away but there is more protection now than before and with it more hope and high spirits heading into this New Year.

Spending time with others

Hopefully this upcoming year we will see people getting together more often. Of course, all the while still abiding by safety measures and precautions, when possible. But gathering again with friends and loved ones will be a welcome, continued change we hope to see.

Continued research and education

We continue to learn more daily when it comes to the COVID-19 virus and its variants, and hopefully this will continue in 2022. But not only that, MS research and education remain vital for the MS community as well. Treatment investigations, clinical studies, and education programs have increased over the past year and offered avenues of hope for those in the MS space. Education remains key to staying apprised of what’s impacting those touched by MS.

Support and encouragement

It’s been a trying time we’ve found ourselves in for nearly two years now. Things have weighed heavy on people’s emotions and well-being, but support in the MS community has remained strong and resilient. We’ve seen people still connecting with one another through various means to stay linked and provide encouragement to others. Be it online, by phone, or other avenues of communication, members of the MS community tried their best to stay in touch. MS organizations and groups continued to provide vital services as well, letting individuals know they’re not alone.

As we embark upon this New Year, let’s try to stay hopeful for refreshing changes and opportunities that may come. We can continue to hope for better times ahead.

Wishing everyone a hopeful and bright New Year!

Multiple Sclerosis Around the World

Posted on August 6, 2014 by Angel Blair

Looking at MS around the world, the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation is an international organization offering support and advocacy for those with MS throughout different countries. Their initiatives include communicating information about MS to a global audience, especially where there is little MS support. They also work and coordinate with other MS organizations to advocate for research efforts and campaigns to help those living with MS, including World MS Day each year. They have several member organizations throughout different countries, and act as an international hub of MS information and support.

With MS affecting individuals throughout the world, it is imperative to have an international resource in place to turn to when information, support, and advocacy are needed. Through publications, newsletters, and weekly MS research updates, the MSIF offers those with MS increased awareness of the disease and its impacts. The group provides an opportunity for those countries without much MS awareness to receive additional support and resources.

As MS continues to be researched and investigated across the world in regards to its potential origin and treatments, the MSIF stands as a pioneering network to keep those in MS communities around the world apprise of new developments.

For more information about the MSIF, visit their website.

Vitamin D and Multiple Sclerosis

Posted on June 11, 2014 by Samantha Schech

Recently, new studies have begun to investigate a correlation between multiple sclerosis and Vitamin D. And, while it may be tempting to make changes to your daily routine based on the information presented in these studies, it is always important to discuss these changes with your neurologist first. As this information is passed throughout the MS community, it is important to be mindful of how your body absorbs Vitamin D.

One of the more natural ways the body absorbs Vitamin D is through the skin from sunlight. However, with the increase in cancerous skin diseases such as Melanoma, individuals are more vigilant regarding the exposure their skin receives and are using sunscreens to try and block some of the sun’s UV light. With this in mind, it may be important to talk to your doctor about other ways to increase the body’s exposure to Vitamin D. For many, taking supplements and being mindful to eat more foods enriched with Vitamin D assists in increasing the body’s Vitamin D levels.

Always consult with your doctor regarding the use of any supplements or in modifying your diet. Although you may find the foods and supplements to be helpful, they could also be harmful to individuals if not monitored closely.

MSAA Attends 2014 Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers

Posted on June 2, 2014 by MSAA

Several members of the MSAA team traveled down to Dallas, Texas last week for the 2014 meeting of the Consortium of MS Centers (CMSC). The meeting had approximately 2,000 registered participants (the largest CMSC ever) ranging from doctors, nurses and researchers, to nonprofit organizations like MSAA.

MSAA set up our booth and reached out to attendees to try and ensure that providers are aware of our services and can refer to them as needed.

Some of the partners MSAA works with were also in attendance, including the vendors who work with MSAA on our Cooling program:

The annual CMSC meeting is one of the best opportunities for education, sharing, and collaboration for professionals who serve the MS community. MSAA staff attended a number of helpful classes, lectures, and interactive sessions on everything from research and study updates related to causes and treatments to efforts to improve quality of life and comprehensive MS care.

Stay tuned to MSAA for more information and knowledge learned at the 2014 CMSC.

You Can Contribute to Finding the Cure for Multiple Sclerosis:

Posted on May 12, 2014 by MSAA

If you are looking for a way to get involved or change the future of MS research, the Accelerated Cure Project and NARCOMS (North American Research Committee on Multiple Sclerosis) are great places to get started!

I want to bring attention to these two organizations, which you may not be familiar with and encourage you to look into their websites if you are interested in learning more about what they do.

The Accelerated Cure Project maintains an MS-research repository and also will be launching an online patient powered research effort. They focus on making sure researchers have access to the biospecimens (for example blood, or CSF fluid) they need to conduct research, and then aggregate the results of all of the studies performed using these research samples.The sharing of research information and results helps to expedite the MS research process.

NARCOMS is a voluntary MS registry with over 37,000 registrants currently. They support the increase in collective knowledge of the MS experience through surveys and other activities in hopes that the collective knowledge gained about the MS experience will be helpful to researchers and will also promote a greater understanding of MS.

Is There a Relationship Between MS, Allergies and Histamine?

Posted on April 7, 2014 by MSAA

By: Matt Cavallo

Spring is in the air. So is pollen. With the pollen, my seasonal allergies are in full bloom. I am still sneezing from the last time I stopped to smell the roses. With my seasonal allergies at their peak, I wondered: is there a correlation between multiple sclerosis and allergies?

When I started my research, I was instantly disappointed. All of the initial research pointed to no correlation between MS and allergies. In fact, a 2011 study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) titled, Association between allergies and multiple sclerosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis, concluded that there was no connection between allergic diseases and MS.

While the initial research suggested no direct correlation between MS and allergies, the deeper I dug, a relationship between histamine and multiple sclerosis started to evolve. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, histamine is a “biologically active substance found in a great variety of living organisms…In an allergic reaction—the immune system’s hypersensitivity reaction to usually harmless foreign substances (called antigens in this context) that enter the body—mast cells release histamine in inordinate amounts.” The definition goes on to explain that the antigens can cause inflammation. After reading this research, my questions became: Does the inflammation caused by these antigens contribute to MS symptoms? And is this partly why I feel worse when my allergies are at their peak?

My questions lead me to research more about histamine and MS. As it turns out there are research studies ongoing exploring the relationship between MS and histamine. A study of histamines and MS on Science Daily found an “unexpected connection between pathways involved in autoimmunity and allergy and suggests previously unrecognized connections between these very different types of immune responses.” The NCBI concluded in a 2013 study, Elevated CSF histamine levels in multiple sclerosis patients, that MS patients had higher histamine levels than the control group and that further exploration was needed.

I am not a scientist, nor am I a doctor. I’m just a guy with MS and bad seasonal allergies. I know that when I feel crummy due to my allergies, that my MS symptoms seem to flare. There are two sides to the argument: one suggests no relationship between MS and allergies, the other suggests that a key immune response to allergies, histamine, may play a role in multiple sclerosis. Until they are able to figure it out, I’m still not going to stop and smell the roses. Hopefully with science and research, one day I will be able to.

Resources:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20456246
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/267004/histamine
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110131133317.htm
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23659456

*Matt Cavallo was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2005. Matt is an MS blogger, author, patient advocate, and motivational speaker. Matt also has his Master’s degree in Public Health Administration. Matt is the proud father of his two sons, loving husband to his wife, Jocelyn, and best friend to his dog, Teddy. Originally from the Boston suburbs, Matt currently resides in Arizona with his family. To learn more about Matt, please visit him at : http://mattcavallo.com/blog/

Comprehensive MS Research Update Now Available from MSAA

Posted on February 19, 2014 by MSAA

The 2014 edition of MSAA’s MS Research Update is a comprehensive overview of the latest research findings on the FDA-approved disease-modifying therapies, as well as many e,perimental treatments. This update features ground-breaking studies not only with medications, but also in areas such as stem-cell research, therapies for myelin repair and protection, biomarkers, genetic studies, and more.

In addition to the e,citing research aimed at relapsing forms of MS, a number of studies are also looking into the treatment of progressive forms of MS. To assist individuals interested in learning more, studies involving progressive MS have been highlighted.

Read MSAA’s latest MS Research Update here.

Highlights from the American Academy of Neurology’s Annual Meeting

Posted on May 9, 2013 by MSAA

The American Academy of Neurology’s (AAN) 65th Annual Meeting took place in San Diego, California in March. This large medical conference presents the latest findings in research and treatments for neurological conditions, including multiple sclerosis (MS). MSAA has compiled important highlights from the meeting in the following article on mymsaa.org: https://www.mymsaa.org/news-msaa/871-aan-highlights-2013

MSAA’s MS Research Update

Posted on March 22, 2013 by MSAA

MSAA’s MS Research Update is a comprehensive overview of research findings on the FDA-approved disease-modifying therapies, as well as many experimental treatments.

This 2013 edition of MSAA’s MS Research Update is the first to be printed as a stand-alone issue, reflecting the diversity and scope of research progress in MS. This information is based on a wide range of sources, including the extensive journal literature on MS and its management, a review of ongoing clinical trials, and papers presented at major national and international conferences.

Read MSAA’s latest MS Research Update.

FOLLOW MSAA ON: