ABOUT US
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease with no known cause or cure. It is a chronic, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms may be mild, such as numbness in the limbs, or severe, resulting in paralysis or loss of vision. Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information from the brain to the body and stops people from moving. The National MS Society exists to make sure it doesn’t.

MS FACTS

• Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, but the unpredictable physical and emotional effects may be life long. Five percent are diagnosed before the age of 21.
• An estimated 400,000 Americans have been diagnosed with MS; every week about 200 more individuals are diagnosed. Worldwide, MS may affect 2.5 million individuals.

• The National MS Society invests $40 million annually on research programs at the best medical centers, universities and other institutions including The Scripps Research Institute, The University of California at San Diego, University of California at Irvine and The Burnham Institute for Medical Research.
• The National MS Society has spent $500 million on research-related programs since its founding in 1946. This investment is paying off in significant progress toward finding treatments and in better diagnosis, rehabilitation and symptomatic therapy for people with all forms of MS.

• Emotional: newly diagnosed programs, professionally-led and self-help groups, counseling and visitation
• Wellness: aquatic and specialized exercise, medical clinics
• Direct: medical equipment loan, financial assistance, transportation assistance
• Family & Social: caregiver support, holiday and family events, respite care
• Education & Advocacy: outreach, community and professional education, information, referral, research updates
• Independence: care management, employment resources, financial planning