Multiple Sclerosis can be a challenging disease to diagnose and treat, especially when having MS can also mean having other health issues that need to be treated. The Multiple Sclerosis Center, part of the University of Michigan’s Department of Neurology, has highly skilled specialists with the experience to handle the most complex multiple sclerosis cases. And our team of physicians from a variety of disciplines works together to manage all your symptoms with the goal to provide a better quality of life. Multiple sclerosis is a disease that affects the central nervous system: the brain and spinal cord. It can cause problems with muscle control and strength, vision, balance, feeling and thinking. MS is different for each person. You may go through life with only minor problems. Or you may become seriously disabled. Most people are somewhere in between. Our Multiple Sclerosis Center is accredited as a Center for Excellence by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Working closely with a multidisciplinary team of experts, we effectively treat all issues that can play a part in multiple sclerosis, including:
- Visual problems
- Numbness
- Vertigo
- Sexual function
- Bladder problems
- Fatigue
- Depression
- Pain
Confirming diagnosis is so crucial, and yet we’ve seen so many patients who have been misdiagnosed. We are experts in diagnosing multiple sclerosis, as well as recognized what is not MS. We offer cutting-edge MRI imaging, which is our primary window into the brain and spine. We also run the full repertoire of lab tests to exclude other possibilities before coming to a conclusion. And, because multiple sclerosis can continue to progress with the absence of symptoms, we conduct periodic exams and MRIs. There is no cure for multiple sclerosis, so our goal is to hold your disease in check. It’s not a one-size-fits-all solution and there are many potential treatments available. It takes experience to not only be familiar with all the therapies – along with the benefits, risks and side effects of each – but to also understand which treatment is best for each patient. We also educate you so you know what to expect and how to best take care of yourself. Treatment ranges from oral medication and self-injecting therapy to chemotherapy treatments and infusions. Since many MS medications are only available at an infusion center, we spearheaded the development of our new onsite, 10-bed East Ann Arbor Infusion Center. Specially trained nurses, who administer steroids, other medications and chemotherapies, staff the Center. Designated a Multiple Sclerosis Collaborative Research Center by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, we are actively involved in research to increase the understanding of the underlying causes of multiple sclerosis, and to gain insight into the development of new treatment approaches. And, we participate in clinical trials to evaluate the next generation of MS therapeutics.