Your top blogs of 2021

1 – Why is MS spasticity worse at night?

Spasticity is one of the most common MS symptoms, and often feels worse at night. This is because it can be aggravated by reduced movement, tight muscles and pain from other symptoms. Find tips, ideas and exercises you can do to help.
 

2 – MS treatment and hair loss: what you need to know

Hair loss is not a symptom of MS, but can be a side effect of various MS treatments. Find out all you need to know about contributing factors, triggers and ways you can improve hair growth. 
 

3 – How to deal with night sweats when you have MS

Many people look forward to the summer months, longer days and a rise in temperature. However, because people with MS are especially sensitive to temperature, this increase in heat can result in many restless nights, waking up drenched in sweat and struggling to ever feel cool and comfortable. 
 

4 – Vaccines and MS Update

What implications are there for different types of COVID-19 vaccines, for people with MS? Dr Jonathan White answers this question and more. 
 

5 – Monthly Meditation Plan

Daily meditation is highly beneficial for people with MS, as it can positively impact mental health and reduce stress. Our monthly guide gives you 30 guided meditations from the Overcoming MS community that can help you get started, and all of them are available for free online. 

6 – MS and fever

Fever can be particularly difficult for people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) because of the heat stress caused by temperature increases. Although regular cold and flu symptoms can be bad enough, fever can also make existing or old MS symptoms worse, as well as causing periods of ‘cold chills’.
 

7 – I used to love dairy, what healthy Overcoming MS-friendly alternatives are available

There are so many dairy-free options available that avoiding dairy doesn’t need to mean that you miss out on the food you love. 

8 – Coimbra Protocol: Vitamin D & MS

The Coimbra Protocol promotes using high-dose vitamin D to treat MS and claims to have seen good results. Find out more on this, in our blog.

9 – Does caffeine affect MS: What you need to know

Research has shown coffee to have an anti-inflammatory effect, and to reduce the likelihood of developing MS, but it is unclear why. High doses can worsen certain symptoms, and there is mixed advice around the benefits – but a moderate amount of coffee should not be detrimental to PwMS. 
 

10 – A list of exercise tips for MS

Exercise is a vital part of the Overcoming MS lifestyle program. There is a large body of evidence demonstrating the positive effect of exercise for pwMS, so here are some tips to help you understand how different exercise styles help with different MS symptoms.