Overview
About 1 in 1,000 people in the United States have multiple sclerosis (MS), a potentially debilitating disease in which your immune system attacks your nerves. MS can cause an array of symptoms affecting your brain, spinal cord and optic nerves.
Specialized treatment can help people with MS manage symptoms and live a higher quality of life. The specialists in the Multiple Sclerosis Center at Cleveland Clinic in Florida offer state-of-the-art, multispecialty care in one convenient location.
Our center is an extension of the Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. The Mellen Center is one of the world's largest and most comprehensive MS treatment and research programs. You can trust your care to our team of established, empathetic experts.
Multiple Sclerosis Center: Why Choose Cleveland Clinic in Florida
When you choose Cleveland Clinic in Florida for multiple sclerosis care, you benefit from:
- Convenient, coordinated services: The Multiple Sclerosis Center is a multispecialty center. Neurologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, neuropsychologists and case managers work with you in one convenient setting. Only select centers across the Florida region and country have this model.
- Expert physicians: Our providers have years of experience treating multiple sclerosis. You can feel confident in their expertise and treatment approach. Meet our team.
- A wide range of treatments: We offer all available treatments for multiple sclerosis, including oral medications, injections and infusions through our on-site infusion center. When appropriate, you may also have access to clinical trials through our collaboration with the Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.
- Easy access to care: With our shorter-than-average wait times, you have quicker access to a multiple sclerosis expert. When you’re an established patient, MyChart and Epic messaging make it easy to contact your doctor for any after-hours concerns. We also offer virtual visits that allow you to connect with your provider from a more comfortable setting.
Conditions We Treat
Multiple sclerosis is a demyelinating condition. These conditions are characterized by damage to the myelin sheath, the protective covering around the nerves in your brain, spinal cord and optic nerves (nerves leading to your eyes). Our specialized neuroimmunologists treat multiple sclerosis as well as other demyelinating diseases, including:
Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis
Diagnosing MS often involves ruling out other conditions that could cause similar symptoms. Our neurologists typically order tests to diagnose or monitor MS, including:
- Blood tests to look for biomarkers of MS or rule out other conditions.
- MRIs, imaging tests that can show MS lesions on your brain or spinal cord.
- Spinal taps, taking a small sample of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to analyze it for antibodies that could point to MS.
- Evoked potential tests to record your nerve’s electrical signals in response to visual or electrical stimulation.
- Optical coherence tomography (OCT), an eye scan that looks for changes in your retina that could be associated with MS.
Multiple Sclerosis Treatment
There’s no cure for MS, but treatment can help manage the symptoms or slow disease progression. Your neurologist creates a personalized MS treatment plan based on your symptoms and needs.
You typically visit the Multiple Sclerosis Center every three to six months to repeat evaluations and assess your treatment plan. Your neurologist adjusts your treatment as needed to manage symptoms and improve your quality of life.
Our specialists provide the full spectrum of MS treatments, including:
- Oral medications: Medicines such as corticosteroids can help decrease nerve inflammation and speed recovery from an MS attack. Your provider may prescribe other medications that reduce the frequency of MS attacks. Or, you may take medicines to reduce MS symptoms, such as muscle stiffness, fatigue or depression.
- Injections: Your neurologist may prescribe injectable medications that help reduce the rate of MS relapse. Many patients also benefit from botulinum toxin (Botox®) injections to decrease symptoms of spasticity related to MS.
- Physical or occupational therapy: People with MS may experience muscle stiffness, leg weakness or gait problems. A physical or occupational therapist can help you increase your strength and flexibility while improving overall function. Find out more about neuro rehabilitation.
- Infusions: Your treatment may include infusions on-site at the Multiple Sclerosis Center. Many medication infusions decrease MS relapse rates and lower your risk of complications. Sometimes, your provider may recommend plasma exchange (plasmapheresis), a treatment to remove and replace plasma from your blood cells.
Treatment
Even though a cure has not yet been found for multiple sclerosis, there are many treatment strategies that can help improve the quality of life for people living with MS. Some of these therapies can help manage symptoms, reduce exacerbations of MS, and modify the course of the disease. Cleveland Clinic Florida specialists use a multi-disciplinary approach to develop comprehensive treatment plans that can address the issues and needs of patients diagnosed with MS. Some of these therapies are outlined below:
Medication management
Many medications are FDA approved for use in the treatment of multiple sclerosis, all of which may modify the course of the disease. Currently, these medications are available as injections, oral medications, or intravenous infusions. Overall, these drugs can help decrease the incidence of exacerbations of MS, reduce the amount of new lesions on MRI scans, and slow down disease progression. Additional information on each of the medications listed below can be found on the National Multiple Sclerosis Society website.
- Copolymer-1 (Copaxone®).
- Dalfampridine (Ampyra*).
- Dimethyl fumarate (Tecfidera*).
- Fingolimod (Gilenya®).
- Interferon beta-1a weekly (Avonex®).
- Interferon beta-1b every other day (Betaseron®/ or Extavia*).
- Interferon beta-1a three days a week (Rebif®).
- Mitoxantrone (Novantrone®).
- Natalizumab (Tysabri®).
- Teriflunomide (Aubagio*).
Infusion therapy
Medication delivered intravenously that can include steroid injections, IVIG treatments, Natalizumab treatments, and various chemotherapy treatments.
Botulinum toxin
A muscle-relaxing medication given by injection to decrease spasticity related to multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological conditions.
Physical therapy
Customized exercise programs that can help fight fatigue and improve mobility are designed for patients to implement at home. Our physical therapists also teach safe walking techniques to reduce falls and train patients in the use of devices aimed at improving gait pattern.
Baclofen pump
A medication delivery system using a pump and catheter that are surgically implanted under the skin of the abdomen near the waistline. The pump delivers baclofen through the catheter directly into the spinal fluid to help relax muscles and decrease spasticity.
Appointments & Locations
Make an appointment at a Cleveland Clinic location in Florida, or schedule a virtual visit.
Locations
Additional Resources
There are several online resources available to obtain additional information on multiple sclerosis. Below is a list of websites that provide information on treatment, diagnosis, medications, support groups and other issues related to MS:
