Your Patients with Multiple Sclerosis have Set Wellness as a High Priority—And the National Multiple Sclerosis Society is Responding

Abstract

Over the past few years, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (Society) has been analyzing topics of importance to the MS community across a variety of communication channels. The data show a trend toward decreased trust in pharmacologic approaches and increased interest in more holistic approaches to MS treatment. People living with MS want to know what they can do today—particularly related to diet, exercise, and emotional wellness—to feel and function at their best. In addition, they want the support of knowledgeable healthcare professionals who are armed with accurate information about wellness interventions. This article reports the findings and conclusions from a recent meeting convened by the Society, during which clinicians, researchers, people with MS, and Society staff reviewed what is currently known about diet, exercise, and emotional issues in MS; identified key questions to be answered in each of these domains, along with the research gaps and challenges to be addressed to arrive at the answers; made specific programmatic recommendations to ensure that people living with MS are getting the personalized support and information they need to achieve wellness; and determined next steps to move this important priority forward, some of which are already underway.

Progressive multiple sclerosis: prospects for disease therapy, repair, and restoration of function

“…In addition, awareness of the factors that lead to fallsinevitably associated with increasing disability and therefore more common in PMSand preventative measures to avoid them, is essential. 83 Over and above all of these approaches, embracing a holistic concept of wellness and encouraging lifestyle choices across physical, emotional, social, intellectual, occupational, and spiritual dimensions is a key element of a comprehensive management plan and one that is strongly advocated by people with MS. 84 This approach serves to underline the importance of self-management at all stages of MS.…”

Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Physical Function in Older Adults With Multiple Sclerosis

“…There is increasing interest in the application of physical activity as a behavioral approach for managing declines of physical function among older adults with MS (Motl, Sebastiao, et al, 2016); this parallels the viewpoint of placing more emphasis on behaviors for promoting wellness in MS (Dunn, Bhargava, & Kalb, 2015). This interest further builds upon existing research indicating that reducing sedentary behavior and/or increasing physical activity improves physical function among the general population of older adults (McAuley et al, 2013;McAuley et al, 2012;Wojcicki et al, 2015).…”

Diet, Gut Microbiota, and Vitamins D + A in Multiple Sclerosis

“…Unfortunately, the role of nutrition in MS is neglected at present, but among the good news we can say that the National Society for Multiple Sclerosis is responding to the request by patients of MS of more focus on wellness [131] and is creating a wellness group [132]. It will be of the outmost importance that this group creates dietary guidelines to be transmitted to neurologists who are caring for people with MS.…”