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If you have multiple sclerosis (MS), having a collaborative, comprehensive care team can make a huge difference in your quality of life. From doctors and dietitians to family and friends — it’s important that you have people you can count on to provide up-to-date, evidence-backed medical care as well as support away from the medical setting.
Ideally, your medical team is a group of specialists working together to evaluate and treat your MS. When these people work together, you get more than one professional opinion weighing in on what’s best for you.
Every person with MS has different symptoms and experiences. You may not need all of the people on this list, but it’s helpful to know that they’re available if you do.
Experts who treat the physical aspects of MS
During your diagnosis and care, you may meet a wide array of healthcare professionals with specialties such as:
- Neurology. Your neurology team helps you manage symptoms and monitor disease progression — and can prescribe medications to prevent relapses and work to treat relapses when they occur.
- Primary care or family medicine. Most people with MS still see their primary healthcare teams for general health questions, routine illnesses, such as infections, and vaccinations.
- Physical medicine and rehabilitation. Experts in this field may include physiatrists, occupational therapists, physical therapists and speech-language pathologists. Healthcare professionals in physical medicine and rehabilitation provide interventions and self-care advice to help your body optimally function at work and home.
- Urology. Urologists can help treat urinary system conditions. For example, MS can disrupt communication between the brain and the nerves in the spinal cord, leading to bladder and bowel issues.
- Ophthalmology and neuro-ophthalmology. Vision problems are often one of the first signs of MS. Ophthalmologists and neuro-ophthalmologists help diagnose and treat vision-related issues.
- Obstetrics and gynecology. Women are often diagnosed with MS during their childbearing years. These healthcare professionals help women who have MS make decisions around family planning, reproductive health, pregnancy and postnatal care.
- Integrative medicine. These medical professionals use an approach to healthcare that may include herbs and supplements, wellness coaching, meditation, acupuncture, massage, and movement exercises such as yoga or tai chi.
- Psychiatry and psychology. MS often impacts mental health. Both psychiatrists and psychologists can help you with depression, anxiety and chronic pain. The primary difference between psychiatrists and psychologists is that psychiatrists can prescribe medications. Additionally, neuropsychologists can help assess cognitive symptoms in MS.
Care team experts who complement medical care
Other healthcare professionals who support your health with MS and can make life less stressful include:
- Pharmacists. They can help you understand everything about your prescriptions, including how to use medications, side effects that can occur and drug interactions to avoid.
- Nurses. Specialized nurses provide education about MS, assist with prescribing medication and help you manage side effects.
- Dietitians. They are authorities on nutrition and diet. They can help you create a personalized plan for the nutrition your body needs to generally stay healthy and to help relieve MS symptoms.
- Social workers. Social workers are advocates for you and your family. They can often help coordinate care, organize transportation or housing, provide guidance with caregiver concerns, give advice on coping with a chronic disease, and explain available financial resources.
Organizations that serve people with MS and their families
Beyond medical professionals, many supportive organizations provide services to people with MS and their families, including:
- Support groups and programs. In-person and online support groups can be beneficial for people with MS and their caregivers.
- Legal resources. Attorneys specializing in disability-related law can help you with a wide range of MS-related services, including state assistance, employment rights and end-of-life planning.
- Financial planning services. Financial planners can help youunderstand tax issues, protect assets and save money for future expenses.
- Agencies for home care aides. Capable and trustworthy people who help with day-to-day care.
Working with these resources can help you feel more prepared for the future.
Friends and family are part of your MS care team too
Some of the most important people on your care team are the people closest to you — neighbors, friends and family.
According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the first step is to tell friends and family that help is needed and welcomed. The second step is to create a list of tasks people can do. That way, when people ask if you need help, you can offer them some options. Being specific about tasks — and the time it will likely take to do them — can make it easier for people to know what they can do to help.
The list of tasks family and friends can help with may include:
- Offering to be on a list of people who can help if something comes up at short notice.
- Helping you or your primary caregivers stay involved in activities they love.
- Doing household tasks such as general cleaning, shopping, cooking, laundry and child care.
- Helping to make your home safer, more accessible or more comfortable.
- Organizing an outing for you. Make sure to budget extra travel time and call ahead to ensure the venue can accommodate someone with MS.
Caregiving can be a challenging and exhausting role, even as it can be simultaneously rewarding and uplifting. Caregiver burnout is common, and it’s often helpful to have a plan in place for identifying ways others can help reduce this risk. Friends and relatives help caregivers reduce burnout by:
- Ensuring caregivers get regular physical exercise, eat right and take care of their own health.
- Helping overnight to let caregivers get a good night’s sleep.
- Being supportive and being there when caregivers need help.
Having MS is not easy, but it can be manageable with a coalition of health professionals, friends and family to help you thrive.
Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.
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