When you get a diagnosis of something like MS, Multiple Sclerosis clinics may well offer you the best care available. But are the MS clinics really any better than the specialist’s office?
So you are going about your life and begin to notice you are a lot more tired than you used to be. And it’s not because you didn’t get a good night’s sleep last night or had a busy week. It goes on for weeks and months. Then you notice some persistent numbness that wasn’t there before. You start to notice problems with your balance and maybe even begin slurring your speech when you’re not drunk. You decide it’s time to go to the doctor. After some tests, suspicions begin to lead the doctor to believe you may be experiencing the beginning early symptoms of MS. But he doesn’t send you to one of the Multiple Sclerosis clinics. Chances are you’ll be referred to a neurologist. And after some time you are sat down and told you have MS. Now what?
This devastating scenario plays out somewhere every day. You may be sent to an MS clinic right away but chances are you’ll stay with the specialist that gave you the diagnosis. But should you?
What are the benefits of the MS clinics?
Are the Multiple Sclerosis clinics really any better than the single practitioner’s office? For most people the answer will be yes. This doesn’t mean that the neurologist you have is not trained or qualified to treat your disease. But for a disease as complex as Multiple Sclerosis, the MS clinics in your area means you can find all the health care services and treatments you need now or may need under the same roof. You won’t have to travel from specialist to specialist. Most Multiple Sclerosis clinics have a number of medical doctor specialists and therapists all at the same facility. And they are all focused on one thing – MS!
They are up to date on all the latest treatment options, the latest drugs, have access to information on trials that may be of interest and they treat only MS so all the resources of the facility go to only MS.
MS clinics are usually affiliated with teaching hospitals
Most of the Multiple Sclerosis clinics are affiliated with a teaching hospital or university. This gives them immediate access to the latest research and trials. Sometimes they are even participating in the trials. An individual practitioner is unlikely to have these affiliations. And most MS clinics will have ophthalmologists, urologists, physical therapists, neurologists, and alternative care providers like physical and massage therapists and other professionals as well as social workers and even people to help you find financial aid. Ask for a referral to one of the MS clinics near you from your primary care doctor. It may be one of the most important first decisions you can make.
