Recognizing Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month: Ways to Make an Impact

Recognizing MS Awareness Month: Ways to Make an Impact
Every March, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Awareness Month provides a valuable opportunity to support and advocate for patients with MS. With approximately 2.9 million people living with MS worldwide, our role in supporting patients, improving their care, and fostering awareness is crucial. Here’s how you can honor MS Awareness Month through meaningful action.

Educate and Learn
One of the most impactful ways to make a difference is through education. By hosting lunch-and-learns or clinical discussions with your colleagues, you can share insights on MS management, foster collaboration, and discuss best practices in patient care.

Educating patients is also crucial to improving outcomes. Provide them with pamphlets, videos, or online resources to help them better understand their diagnosis, treatment options, and what to expect as they navigate their journey.

Continuing to educate yourself is vital to providing comprehensive care. Stay up to date on the latest advancements in disease-modifying therapies and symptom management through podcasts, webinars, workshops, or conferences focused on emerging MS research.

Spread the Word
Raising awareness can be as simple as wearing orange, the official color of MS Awareness Month. Doing so is an easy but effective way to show your support for patients with MS and spark conversations about the disease.

You can also extend your outreach to social media, where you can use hashtags like #MSAwareness and #MultipleSclerosisAwarenessMonth to generate awareness and educate others.

Engage with the Community
Volunteering your time at local or national MS events can raise both awareness and funds for research. Participating in fundraising walks, runs, or other charity events not only supports a worthy cause, but can also help connect you with patients and families.

Leading or facilitating MS support groups can create a safe space for patients and their families to share their experiences, provide mutual encouragement, and build a sense of community. It’s also an opportunity to listen and offer valuable guidance on managing symptoms.

Empower Patients Through Advocacy
Advocacy plays a pivotal role in improving the lives of patients with MS. Connecting with local or national patient advocacy groups can help identify key issues impacting patients with MS, such as barriers to accessing treatments.

By working with these groups, you can help amplify patient voices and ensure their needs are heard by policymakers on local, state, and national levels.

A Year-Round Effort
Efforts to support patients with MS don’t have to end in March. By generating awareness and taking action, we can take meaningful steps towards better care for patients.

Visit nationalmssociety.org, msfocus.org, and mymsaa.org to learn more about how you can support patients all year long.

References
National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Published 2025. Accessed February 7, 2025. https://www.nationalmssociety.org/

Multiple Sclerosis Association of America. Published February 7, 2025. Accessed February 7, 2025. https://mymsaa.org/

Multiple Sclerosis Foundation. Published 2025. Accessed February 7, 2025. https://msfocus.org/