Multiple Sclerosis

There are many aspects to multiple sclerosis that are puzzling to patients and perplexing to health professionals – the “invisible symptoms”. These include pain, fatigue, cognitive impairment, psychiatric aspects, and the effect of MS on self and family. These less concrete symptoms may be overlooked at consultation, perhaps because the patient has limited awareness of the precise difficulties that they are experiencing or of the importance of sharing this experience with a healthworker. Often more abstract and subtle in nature than the physical symptoms, they are usually also harder to talk about. In any event, the invisible symptoms require specific knowledge and expertise for successful assessment and management. Healthcare professionals must achieve a shared perspective of clinical needs and best practise. Multiple Sclerosis- the invisible impacts offers authoritative, accessible summaries for healthcare workers. Each invisible impact has a separate heading, and is thus easily locatable. Each invisible impact has two dedicated chapters: the evidence base; and clinical assessment and management. The evidence base is a current, expert synthesis of the relevant research, with priority given to major reviews and summaries of key and classic papers from all disciplines that have informed the field or presage new developments. The clinical assessment and management chapter is a comprehensive, practical guide to evidence-based clinical work in a multidisciplinary context. This arrangement of material allows efficient and near-immediate access to specific practise information, which is further facilitated by a common structure shared by these chapters. The theoretical models and research that underpin the development of the recommended assessment techniques, investigations, measures and treatments are conveniently presented separately, so that the reader may consider them when they have the time.