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Charlotte, our Involvement Officer attends the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society information day

Charlotte, our Involvement Officer attends the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society information day Image

What is MS?

Recently, I attended the MS society information day where I learnt a lot about MS and the science behind it. In short, I learnt that MS is caused by the body’s immune cells attacking the protective layer (called Myelin) around the brain’s neurons which disrupts the brains messages. This causes severe symptoms that can go through phases of stability, flare-ups, and relapses, as the body tries to rebuild Myelin; or even progressive systems if it cannot. You can learn more about this in this video.

What do the MS society do?

A lot of MS society funds go towards research into stopping and treating MS. Research priorities are to: prevent immune attacks, promote Myelin repair, and protect nerves. The Octopus trial is a multi-arm multi-stage research trial which will trial multiple drugs against one placebo, rather than doing multiple research trials for each drug. The MS society have supported this trial as it is designed to find effective treatments for MS more quickly. You can learn more about the Octopus trial here.

A drawn icon of an orange octopus holding up a purple stop sign that reads, 'team stop MS'

How can you get involved?

If you have MS, you can join the UK MS Register which includes over 17,000 members who log their symptoms, treatment, quality of life, and complete questionnaires. The register is a vital source of data that can help make new discoveries about MS, such as which combination of risk factors that affect the more rapid progression of MS. Also, whether you have long term neurological condition or not, you can sign up to donate your brain and central nervous system to the Tissue Bank, which provides vital samples to aid MS research.

The Surrey group of the MS Society support people living with MS through exercise and social groups, grants and sharing information. To find out more about what’s on in Surrey, click here. Additionally, by joining the Coalition’s Long Term Neurological Conditions group you will have the opportunity to raise key issues regarding the current provision and support available for those with MS in Surrey. To join this group, contact the Involvement Team by emailing Involvement@surreycoalition.org.uk

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