Patients with multiple sclerosis face enormous prognostic uncertainty and they should be educated about their illness. A multidisciplinary approach is recommended and patients should be given information on national MS organisations. It should be noted that depression and suicide rates are high and that psychological support should be made available.

Treatment may be considered in terms of:

• acute treatment
• it is important to distinguish between a relapse and an exacerbation
• disease-modifying treatment
• symptomatic treatment