MS does not have a cure and a common question that people come and ask me when they, especially when they come for that first visit when they’re diagnosed is, “if there’s not a cure for it, what is the point in treating it?”
One of the ways that I frame it is that there’s really not a cure for most diseases, right? If we think about the most common conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or thyroid disease, there are not cures for those conditions. What we do is we manage them and then certainly there are things that people can do to help improve their own health, but we manage most conditions.
The reason that treating MS is so important is that we can really prevent disability. The treatment landscape has changed dramatically over the past 10 years and we have many different ways that we can treat people and with effective treatments, we’re seeing less and less people in our waiting rooms with wheelchairs.
We’re seeing people that are walking, that are walking their kids down the aisle that are still active and doing things 10 or 20 years into the disease, which was unheard of in the past. And so it’s important because we want to try to prevent disability and have you live as normal a life as possible.
Dr. Mitzi Joi Williams is a top neurologist and Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Specialist in Atlanta, Georgia. She received her undergraduate degree in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology from Emory University and her Doctor of Medicine degree from Morehouse School of Medicine. Dr. Williams completed her internship and residency in neurology as well as a Clinical Fellowship in Multiple Sclerosis at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, GA. Dr. Williams has a strong interest in understanding and furthering research in MS in ethnic minority populations. She is a sought-after speaker and presenter and has discussed her research both nationally and internationally at various scientific meetings. She has spearheaded and participated in multiple Steering Committees and Work Groups to further research in underserved populations with MS. She also has recently increased involvement in efforts to increase diversity in clinical research and educate the community about the importance of research participation. Dr. Williams is the author of MS Made Simple: The Essential Guide to Understanding Your Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis. Because of her passion for teaching and advocacy.
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