MS is a chronic, disabling disease with no known cause or cure.

Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable disease that attacks the central nervous system. Symptoms may be mild, such as numbness in the limbs or more severe, like paralysis or loss of vision. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot be predicted.

MS is thought to be an autoimmune disease. The body's own defense system attacks myelin, the fatty substance that surrounds and protects the nerve fibers of the brain and spinal cord (the central nervous system). The damaged myelin may form scar tissue (sclerosis). Sometimes the nerve fiber is also damaged. When any part of the myelin sheath or nerve fiber is damaged or destroyed, nerve impulses to and from the brain are distorted or interrupted.

MS is not fatal. Individuals have normal or near-normal life expectancies. Most people with MS learn to cope with the disease and live full, productive lives.

Who gets MS?

One in 750 people, mostly women.

Multiple Sclerosis is the most prevalent neurological disease among young adults. 400,000 Americans have MS. Most diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40, and about two thirds are women. The disease is more frequently found among people who grew up in colder climates.

Studies indicate that genetic factors make certain individuals susceptible to the disease, but there is no evidence that MS is directly inherited.

Can MS be cured?

No, but until there is a cure, there is The Heuga Center.

Advances in treating and understanding MS are encouraging, and several FDA-approved medications have been shown to modify or slow down the underlying course of MS. There is still no cure for MS, however, The Heuga Center's Programs are recognized worldwide as a valuable complement to regular medical treatment.

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