Introduction
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. This is composed of the brain and spinal cord and is known to be responsible for controlling all bodily functions. Multiple sclerosis is still an incurable disease.
Although enormous funds are being made available for research, neither the cause nor a therapeutic option has yet been found. Only the course of the disease can be positively influenced by various treatment approaches. The course of the disease can be different for different patients and is divided into three main forms.
Forms of progression
The different forms of multiple sclerosis can be divided into three groups. In two of the three forms, so-called relapses occur. A relapse is subject to certain criteria.
Within hours or days, new symptoms or symptoms associated with renewed damage to the nervous system appear. The symptoms must last longer than one day. In order to be able to distinguish between two relapses, a month (more precisely 30 days) must lie between the events.
A relapse has a variable duration of several days, but can also last for several weeks.
- Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RR-MS) is the most common form of the disease. In this form, unpredictable relapses occur, in which new symptoms appear or already known symptoms worsen.
The symptoms often disappear completely at the beginning of the disease. It is only in the later course of the disease that residual symptoms remain after a relapse and become more permanent.
- Secondary progressive course:Another form of the disease, which is very similar to the previous one, is called secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. This form of the disease also has a relapsing-like progression.
However, the neurological functions deteriorate steadily without the occurrence of relapses. The relapses build up on the progressing course of the disease and thus cause an overall increase in symptoms. The course of the disease is called secondary because the clinical picture does not only progress over time.
This form of progression often develops during the course of the longstanding disease from the relapsing-remitting MS.
- Primary progressive course:Primary progressive multiple sclerosis is characterized by a gradual progression without relapses. The slowly progressing symptoms do not regress. This form of progression is especially observed in old patients.
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