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Integrated Neurological Services
82 Hampton Road, Twickenham, TW2 5QS
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  1. Living with a neurological condition
  2. Multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most widespread disabling neurological disorder affecting young adults In the UK there are more than 100,000 people diagnosed with MS. MS is more common in women than men. MS is a life-long condition, but medication and therapy can help manage the condition and its symptoms.


Sclerosis' means scarring or hardening of tiny patches of tissue. In MS, this occurs at multiple places in the brain and/or spinal cord. Why someone develops MS isn't known. What is known indicates it's caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.


In MS, the immune system, which typically helps to fight off infections, misidentifies myelin, which protects nerve fibres, for a foreign body and attacks it. This damages the myelin and strips it off the nerve fibres, leaving scars known as lesions or plaques. This damage interrupts messages travelling along nerve fibres – they can slow down, become distorted, or not get through at all. As well as damaging the myelin, there can sometimes be damage to the actual nerve fibres too. It's this nerve damage that causes the increase in disability that can happen over time.
MS is not a terminal illness, but it is a life-long condition. Most people are diagnosed in their 20’s or 30’s and will live with MS for 40 to 50 years. Usually, people with MS live well into their 70’s. In recent years, disease modifying drugs have been introduced for relapsing MS and they could increase life expectancy in the future as they decrease the number of relapses.


MS can trigger a variety of symptoms and can affect any part of the body. Each person with MS is affected differently. Intervals when symptoms get worse are known as "relapses" and when symptoms improve or disappear are known as "remissions". Some of the most common symptoms include:

  • fatigue
  • vision problems
  • numbness and tingling
  • muscle spasms, stiffness and weakness
  • mobility problems
  • pain
  • problems with thinking, learning and planning
  • depression and anxiety
  • sexual problems and/or bladder problems
  • speech and swallowing difficulties
    Note: most people with MS only have a few of these symptoms.

There are four main types of MS:


Relapsing-remitting MS
‘Most people with MS (around 85%) are diagnosed with the relapsing remitting form. This means that they will have periods when symptoms flare up aggressively - known as a relapse, an attack or an exacerbation - followed by periods of good or complete recovery - a remission.


Benign MS
The term benign MS is sometimes used to describe a version of relapsing remitting MS with very mild attacks separated by long periods with no symptoms.


Secondary progressive MS
Many people who are initially diagnosed with relapsing remitting MS find that, over time, their MS changes. They have fewer or no relapses but their disability increases. As this follows an initial (primary) relapsing remitting phase, this is known as secondary progressive MS


Primary progressive MS
Between 10 and 15% of people with MS are diagnosed with primary progressive MS (or less commonly chronic progressive MS). In this type of MS disability increases from the beginning, and it is rare to have any relapses’. (MS Trust. 2018)


Other rare variants of MS do exist these including, Devic's neuromyelitis optica, Balo's concentric Sclerosis, Schilder's disease and Marburg MS. Although rare, the variants are important as they often arise in the differential diagnosis for severe and acute MS presentations.

INS Programme

INS is making plans to resume more face-to-face services. We continue to support our clients and carers by offering virtual group sessions via Zoom videolink - please see below for details of our current programme. Read more

Published: 13th November, 2017

Updated: 23rd May, 2022

Author:

Multiple sclerosis (MS)

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most widespread disabling neurological disorder affecting young adults. In the UK there are more than 100,000 people diagnosed with MS. Read more

Published: 13th November, 2017

Updated: 29th June, 2020

Author:

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  • Latest news

    Latest news

    Find out what's been happening at INS in our latest Newsletter... INS face-to-face groups have now resumed but we continue to support our clients through video and phone contact... A hugely positive response to INS online sessions during lockdown... Over 150 people, including then Twickenham MP Sir Vince Cable, and the Mayors of Richmond and Hounslow, joined service users, staff and volunteers at York House for INS 25th Anniversary event on 17 October 2019...

  • INS Newsletter

    INS Newsletter

    Details of what's been happening at INS in recent months and plans for the coming weeks in our latest Newsletter... Find out how INS has adapted to increased face-to-face work with our clients and carers, while maintaining many of our popular online groups... We also share some of the experiences of our clients, tell you about new activities, and introduce you to the latest INS team members... Also details of how to get your copy of INS in Lockdown from our Creative Writing group and much more!

  • INS Case for Support

    Find out why INS exists, how we respond to people's needs, and the hugely positive impact that we have.

  • Our Staff Team

    The INS Team includes 11 staff, both full-time and part-time, with generous support from our many volunteers. Sarah Vines began work at INS in August 2020 as our Chief Executive and Clinical Lead.

Most read

  • INS Programme

    INS is making plans to resume more face-to-face services. We continue to support our clients and carers by offering virtual group sessions via Zoom videolink - please see below for details of our current programme.

  • Latest news

    Latest news

    Find out what's been happening at INS in our latest Newsletter... INS face-to-face groups have now resumed but we continue to support our clients through video and phone contact... A hugely positive response to INS online sessions during lockdown... Over 150 people, including then Twickenham MP Sir Vince Cable, and the Mayors of Richmond and Hounslow, joined service users, staff and volunteers at York House for INS 25th Anniversary event on 17 October 2019...

  • Working for INS

    Come and join our team.

  • What is a neurological condition?

    A neurological condition is a disease, illness or trauma that affects the central or peripheral nervous system. Examples of symptoms include paralysis, tremor, cognitive difficulties, muscle weakness, poor coordination, loss of sensation, seizures, confusion, pain and altered levels of consciousness.

  • Our Staff Team

    The INS Team includes 11 staff, both full-time and part-time, with generous support from our many volunteers. Sarah Vines began work at INS in August 2020 as our Chief Executive and Clinical Lead.

  • Groups and activities

    INS offers a variety of long term and short-term groups. Some of these groups are for people with a specific neurological condition, while others are open to all neurological conditions. Our groups focus on different areas; some are exercise based, others focus on managing symptoms, while others provide you with an opportunity to try out different activities.

  • Volunteer opportunities

    INS welcomes anybody who is willing to offer their skills and some of their time to assist us in all areas of our work. We already have a team of invaluable volunteers who help us in many ways but we are currently looking for more support.

  • INS Newsletter

    INS Newsletter

    Details of what's been happening at INS in recent months and plans for the coming weeks in our latest Newsletter... Find out how INS has adapted to increased face-to-face work with our clients and carers, while maintaining many of our popular online groups... We also share some of the experiences of our clients, tell you about new activities, and introduce you to the latest INS team members... Also details of how to get your copy of INS in Lockdown from our Creative Writing group and much more!

  • Where we work

    Integrated Neurological Services (INS) provides support primarily to people who live in the London boroughs of Richmond and Hounslow. However, we may still be able to offer support to people living just outside this area (eg. in Kingston, Wandsworth, Ealing) who are within reach of our base in Twickenham.

  • Donate

    Your donation can make a difference to the lives of people with a neurological condition. Donate, hold an event, take part in a challenge - whatever you can do will make a difference.

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