Multiple sclerosis: pathology of the central nervous system Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease commonly found in individuals between the ages of 20 and 40. While men with MS tend to have a more rapidly progressing disease, women are more likely than men to develop it. MS comes in many forms due to the extent of damage and amount of lesions, as well as how quickly it progresses. All of this collectively makes up the MS community today and has led to new testing methods and forms of treatment being developed to both help alleviate symptoms and slow the progression of the disease. This research paper will examine what causes a person to develop MS, what happens inside the body that causes the symptoms people experience, the objective and subjective outcomes of MS, as well as pharmaceutical and natural treatment options. Pathophysiology Multiple sclerosis is distinguished as a chronic autoimmune disease that causes demyelination of the central nervous system. The final problem is that the myelin within the central nervous system becomes inflamed and scarred, which has enormous effects on the individual. Huether and McCance (2012) go into detail about what multiple sclerosis is by stating that it is a multifactorial disease, meaning that it occurs when a person is genetically prone to developing MS and then develops a virus in the nervous system. Demyelination and inflammation of the central nervous system is caused by plasma cells, B lymphocytes, T cells and proinflammatory cytokines and causes scarring and degeneration of axons, which unfortunately is irreversible. Aside from the central inflammation caused by the disease, there is also a lesion throughout the central nervous system that is classified as... middle of paper... symptoms associated with the disease. Other natural options for people include dietary changes, daily exercise, massage, and herbal remedies, just to name a few. There are still unknowns about MS, however, there have been great advances in the diagnosis and treatment of multiple sclerosis that help people who suffer from this disease every day. References Alnar, O. (2009). Treatment of multiple sclerosis. CNS and neurological disorders - Drug Target, 8 (3), 167-174. Cantorna, M. (2006). Vitamin D and its role in immunology: multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel diseases. Advances in Biophysics and Molecular Biology, 92, (1), 60-64.Huether, S.E., McCance, K.L. (2012). Understanding the pathophysiology. St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier Inc.Wilson, S., Giddens, J. Health Assessment for Nursing Practice. St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier Inc.