Multiple Sclerosis is :

• Non-discriminative
  
  
• Not contagious
  
  
• Affects no two people the same
  
  
• The most common neurological disorder among young adults
  
  
• Affects around 100,000 people in the UK alone.
  
  
• More common in women than men (With a ratio of 3:2).
  
  
• Almost everyone will know someone affected by M.S. - Even You...

Diagnosis of the condition usually occurs between the ages of 20 and 40, but it can be later, or in very rare cases, even as early as childhood.  Most commonly, MS is described as relapsing remitting, this means the condition flares up, and then calms down. MS is a complex condition involving many factors; there is no doubt that fundamental problems occur in the central nervous system the brain and spinal cord.

MS is the result of damage to a substance called myelin.  Myelin works like cable insulation. It’s a protective sheath which surrounds all nerve fibres in the brain and spinal cord. These crucial nerves conduct electrical impulses throughout the body. When myelin is healthy and functioning properly, electrical impulses are quick and efficient allowing fast, coordinated movement, when myelin is damaged impulses are slower, distorted or non-existent. This causes many of the symptoms of MS.

MS can make you feel isolated, but here at the Centre you can meet friends, have a gossip, a laugh, try your hand our activities, lift your spirits and eat great cake!