The nervous system is the command centre of the body , sending and receiving messages from the brain.

These messages tell your muscles and organs what to do, how to move and even when to feel pain. For example, if you accidentally touch a hot stove, the nerves in your skin shoot a message of pain to your brain. The brain then sends a message back telling the muscles in your hand to pull away. (Nemours, 2011) Because the nervous system is connected to the brain via the spinal cord, it is the control center of our body, almost like a computer network. Without a nervous system, our breathing and heart rate would not be regulated, we would be unable to see, hear and sense and be incapable of feeling pain. But the nervous system, our brain, is fragile. That s where the Musculoskeletal system comes in. Musculoskeletal is a general term which is defined as relating to muscles and the skeleton , (Eustice, 2006) It is the general make-up of the bones, muscles, joints and tendons. The musculoskeletal system is a defender, a protector of our delicate spinal cord and brain. The vertebrae of our spine cover our spinal cord and our skull protects our brain. Without these bones, our nervous system would be extremely vulnerable to injury. Sensory information is conveyed via the nervous system and in turn sent to the musculoskeletal. Proprioception (the awareness of posture, movement, and changes in equilibrium and the knowledge of position, weight, and resistance of objects in relation to the body) (CengageLearning) is the information received. Essentially, the brain and spinal cord are telling your muscles where and how to move, bones protect our frail spinal cord and brain and bones also provide calcium, an essential ingredient for a healthy nervous system. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system. Its symptoms are varied and unpredictable. The cause of MS is unknown and there is no cure. Treatments are available to ease the symptoms and modify the course of the disease. (BetterHealth, 2010) Myelin is a fatty protein which protects the nerve fibres from damage, like rubber insulation around electrical wiring. When MS is active, white blood cells gather around the myelin. This causes an inflammation which strips the protective myelin away from the spinal cord. Essentially, your immune system is fighting against your body. The spots in which this occurs are called lesions which warp and disrupt messages sent through the nervous system. Ultimately this means that your brain is not receiving the correct information. For example, because the nerves are damaged and unable to send accurate messages, your eyes may not see the correct images, resulting in blurred or double vision. It can also cause loss of coordination, mobility, balance, hand tremors and even memory loss. This is all caused by disrupted signals from the nervous system. Multiple Sclerosis is, unfortunately, an incurable disease. Scientists do not yet know the exact cause of this disease either, which proves difficult when testing medicine. Though there is no cure, there is certainly medication that can be used to manage the symptoms and slow the course of the disease. One of the most common treatments for MS is immunotherapy. This medication decreases the frequency and severity of attacks from the white blood cells. This means the myelin is subjected to less damage, less lesions and less interruptions of messages. This drug works by adjusting the activity level of a person s immune system. The obvious advantages for this treatment are the slowing down of attacks and the decrease in symptoms. This means that the brain would be able to convey messages

without being disrupted, which would result in less abnormal behaviour. There are also certain obvious disadvantages associated with immunotherapy; it does not completely cure you of the disease. The possible side effects from this treatment may also be quite severe. Patients may suffer drowsiness, swelling, flu-like symptoms, skin irritation and mood swings. Though these side-effects are troubling, they should not outweigh the advantages of using this medicine as it will prevent much long term damage to your spine and nervous system. Another common treatment for Multiple Sclerosis is t he use of corticosteroids. This drug is derived from cortisone, a hormone produced in the body in case of alarm, attack or flight. Cortisone affects the body in many ways (such as raising blood sugar levels and restraining metabolic development), but the b est factor is the inhibition of the immune system . It also has an anti-inflammatory quality, which is helpful when preventing the myelin from swelling and being pulled away. Other advantages include the shortening of the attacks and decreasing the severity. Again, the obvious disadvantage; it does not cure Multiple Sclerosis. It can also cause a rise in blood pressure; which is very dangerous for patients who already have high blood pressure. Disturbances in heart beats and epileptic seizures are rare, but have been known to take place. Dr. Vital Hauser deems corticosteroids (also known as methylprednisolone) as safe, saying, On the whole, high -dosage methylprednisolone treatment can be considered in the relapse phase of people with MS as safe. High dosage administration of methylprednisolone should not be considered for patients with an arrhythmia, severe kidney disorders or known epilepsy. (Hauser)

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