MS affects an estimated 250,000-300,000 people in the United States alone, typically between the ages of 20 and 40. With 10,000 new cases diagnosed in the United States alone each year, it is the most common neurological condition of young adults in North America and Europe. More women develop MS than men, and it is primarily a disease found in Caucasians with low instances of occurrence in Asians, African Americans and other ethnic groups.

While the exact cause of the disease is not known, there are a number of contributing factors that are commonly agreed upon by scientists researching this potentially devastating disease. MS is a disease of the central nervous system involving an autoimmune process in which an abnormal immune response is directed at the central nervous system. Attacking immune cells destroy myelin, the fatty sheath that surrounds and insulates nerve fibers. This in turn causes the nerve impulses to be slowed down or even halted, leading to the symptoms of MS (numbness, paralysis, etc.). What causes the immune cells to turn against the central nervous system remains a mystery to researchers.

The symptoms of MS often mimic those found in a number of other diseases, and as a result, diagnosis of MS is challenging. Symptoms are often divided into three categories ˆ primary, secondary and tertiary. By treating the earlier symptoms of the disease, one can attempt to avoid their symptoms from progressing to the next stage. Primary symptoms are a direct result of the initial destruction of the myelin that impairs transmission of nerve impulses to muscles and organs. Primary symptoms may include difficulty walking; loss of balance; numbness or "tingling" sensations; impaired vision due to inflammations of the optic nerves; bladder and bowel dysfunction; and paralysis.

Secondary symptomsare a result of the primary symptoms. For example, bladder dysfunction can lead to urinary tract infections; paralysis can lead to bedsores as a secondary symptom. While secondary symptoms can be treated, it is best to avoid them by treating the primary symptoms, attempting to prevent the symptoms from progressing.

Tertiary symptomsare the social, vocational and psychological symptoms that result from primary and secondary symptoms. Tertiary symptoms include depression, lack of motivation, and a disruption of personal relationships, often as a direct result of the stress from dealing with a chronic illness. Many of the symptoms of MS can be effectively managed and complications can be avoided with regular care from a neurologist and allied health professionals.