"Multiple sclerosis a complex, but common, problem" [Scranton Times-Tribune 11/20/2006] : "Judging by my e-mail inquiries, it%u2019s fairly safe to say that most readers of this column either directly or indirectly know someone who has multiple sclerosis.

MS has been a part of my life — as a physical therapist, friend and relative of some incredible people and their families affected by this disease.

According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, MS affects about 400,000 people in the United States and is second only to trauma as the most common cause of neurological disability for those in early to middle adulthood.

MS is almost three times as common in women, and it’s very uncommon before adolescence or after 50. But the risk increases from the teen years until 50.

Multiple sclerosis is considered an autoimmune disease. The body’s immune system does not work properly; it fails to attack foreign substances such as bacteria. Instead, the system allows the body to attack normal tissues and create diseases such as MS, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

In MS, the immune system attacks the brain and spinal cord of the central nervous system. Each nerve has an outer covering of a fatty material — myelin — for insulation to improve the transmission and conductivity of impulses or messages to and from the brain. Damage to the myelin interrupts the ability of messages to travel through the spinal cord and to other areas of the body, such as the muscles in the arms and legs.

Due to this “short circuiting,” the brain becomes unable to send or receive messages. In MS, scar tissue or plaque (sclerosis) replaces the fatty myelin in “multiple” areas. This is also called demyelination.

Symptoms: The symptoms associated with MS vary greatly. The amount, frequency and speed of the demyelination process are directly related to the loss of strength and function in daily activities.MORE: