MS 101 – Understanding the Nervous System

I have a theory that education leads to empowerment, and empowerment leads to people being good advocates for themselves and improved health overall. It can be difficult for healthcare providers to explain really complicated diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, during office visits. There is so much to cover in such a short time, that often education is minimized or cut out altogether in order to make sure that we have plenty of time to address other issues during the office visit. My first reaction to being diagnosed with MS was to go on an information binge, and learn everything I possibly could. I had the advantage of already being a neuro-surgical nurse, and of having nearly a decade of training and education in human biology, anatomy, physiology, and pathology. However, the average person diagnosed with a serious neurological disease doesn’t have a background in neurology. I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to try to understand it all on your own, without any prior knowledge. After all, even some of the nurses and doctors I know recoil at the thought of neurology because it is a difficult topic to learn and master. However, I have confidence that you all will be naturals since you live these concepts every single day. Firsthand experience is always the best way to learn! So, I want to attempt to teach you the major concepts of neurology, with the hope that you will get a deeper understanding about what MS is and how it affects you. If you’ve ever had a symptom and wondered “what in the world was that?”, then this is for you!

First, the Basics

What exactly is the nervous system and what does it do?

The nervous system is divided into two parts, the central nervous system (CNS), and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). It is easiest to picture the nervous system as a tree. The CNS is the tree’s roots and truck, consisting of the brain and the spinal cord and the PNS is the tree’s branches, consisting of nerves that travel to our organs, glands, muscles, and skin.