Multiple Sclerosis

Overview

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease in which the immune system, which normally protects the body, instead attacks the covering (myelin sheath) surrounding the nerve cables (axons) in the brain and spinal cord. The axons transmit information to other nerve cells, and myelin helps make this transmission efficient. Attacks of MS lead to inflammation and injury to the myelin sheath, resulting in slowed or blocked nerve signals, which can lead to difficulty controlling vision, muscle coordination, strength, sensation and other bodily functions. Multiple sclerosis can affect people of any age, although symptoms most commonly occur in people 20 to 40 years old. Women are twice as likely to develop MS as men. There are several types of multiple sclerosis.

Why choose Mayo Clinic

• Volume and experience. Each year, Mayo Clinic doctors diagnose and treat more than 2,500 adults and children who have MS and other central nervous system disorders including optic neuritis, transverse myelitis, neuromyelitis optica (Devic's disease) and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis.
• Team approach. Specialists in adult and pediatric neurology, neurosurgery, physical medicine and rehabilitation, urology, neuropsychology, psychiatry, medical genetics and neuro-ophthalmology create individualized treatment plans for people who have MS and related disorders.
• Recognized treatment center. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society has recognized the Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Center at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota as a designated multidisciplinary center focused on the diagnosis, evaluation and treatment of people who have multiple sclerosis and other demyelinating diseases.
• Research leaders. Mayo Clinic researchers study the causes and disease course of MS and related conditions and offer access to potential new treatments through clinical trials.

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., is ranked among the Best Hospitals for neurology and neurosurgery, for orthopedics and for rehabilitation by U.S. News & World Report.

Read more about multiple sclerosis at MayoClinic.com.