CMSC Recommendations for Care

Multiple sclerosis is a lifelong neurological disease with far-reaching and variable implications for patients, their families, and their social and vocational sphere of influence. The disease course remains uncertain for each patient, symptoms tend to wax and wane due to a variety of causes, and treatment concerns range from physical to social to emotional and back again. This dynamic pattern of need and the necessity for appropriate care calls for a philosophy of care that, to date has not been well-articulated or published. The standards for symptom management and disease altering therapies have been promulgated during the past decade based on both research and expert consensus. Therefore, the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers has determined that basic recommendations for care are required in multiple sclerosis.