Direct payments are paid by your local council to people who have been assessed as needing care. These can give you more flexibility over how your care and support is provided.

Phenytoin is an anti-convulsant drug that works on the brain and spinal cord. Its main use is in epilepsy. In MS it can be used to treat trigeminal neuralgia or other painful sensations (dysaesthesia) if other approaches have not worked.

Bexarotene was investigated in clinical trials for its potential to repair myelin. The dose required led to serious side effects and further studies were not conducted.

Find out what cost of living financial help is available through benefits and grants, as well as further information on working life, insurance, health care costs and legal advice.

Looking after your body and mind is important, especially when you have a long-term condition like MS. Here is practical information you need to manage stress, sleep, and dealing with the emotional side of an MS diagnosis.

Find out more about relationships with family and friends, talking to children and teenagers about your MS and explaining MS to others.

Find out about research into MS, sign up to our research update and learn how to get involved in research trials yourself.

Reiki is a form of complementary therapy that was developed in Japan in the 1920s. The word itself is Japanese and means 'universal life force energy'. People with multiple sclerosis may decide to use this energy healing therapy alongside more conventional treatments. Several MS Therapy Centres offer reiki sessions.

A lumbar puncture is a diagnostic test for multiple sclerosis that involves removing and analysing a sample of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord within the skull and backbone. It is sometimes referred to as a spinal tap.