What are the Roles of the MS Clinic Team Members?
Neurologist, Clinical Fellow and/or the Advanced Practice Nurse:
- Obtains your health history
- Performs a neurological examination
- Provides a treatment plan
- Addresses your questions and/or discusses your concerns
Clinic Coordinator:
- Assists the MS clinic team with administration and management of the London MS Clinic
Social Worker:
- Helps direct you to relevant community resources
- Offers guidance on financial, career, and employment-related concerns
Physiotherapist:
- Assesses movement, strength, stiffness, pain, fatigue, balance, and walking
- Prescribes exercises and stretching techniques tailored to your needs
- Utilizes therapies like heat or ultrasound
- Recommends bracing or walking aids when necessary
Occupational Therapist:
- Helps manage daily tasks and activities of daily living, with a focus on fatigue management
- Provides education on assistive devices (e.g., bath seats, grab bars, wheelchairs)
- Offers resources for home accessibility improvements
- Assists with employment and career-related issues, including computer operation and accessibility solutions
MS Doctors and Fellows:
- The MS neurologists provide expert care by collecting your health history, performing neurological examinations, and developing comprehensive treatment plans.
- Clinical Fellows, who come from around the world to train in our clinic, work closely with the MS specialists to offer additional expertise and support in your care.
Nurse Practitioner (NP):
- Collaborates with the neurologists to manage relapses, symptoms, and advanced drug therapies.
- Manages relapse
MS Registered Nurse (RN):
- Provides essential drug counselling, patient education, and ensures that you have the support needed to understand and follow your treatment plan, including reviewing and making recommendations in terms of your vaccination status
- Monitors your health and coordinates care to enhance symptom management.
Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP):
- Assesses and manages communication and swallowing challenges related to MS
- Offers help if you experience coughing, difficulty swallowing, or speech changes like a "slurred" voice
- Provides strategies and resources for improving speech, swallowing, and communication issues
MS Comprehensive and Palliative Care Clinic:
Our MS Palliative and Complex Care Clinic is dedicated to providing specialized care for patients with advanced MS and complex symptom management needs. The clinic operates monthly and offers a multidisciplinary approach to address physical, emotional, and psychosocial challenges. Key players include an MS specialist as well as:
- Neuropalliative Care
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
This team works together to provide compassionate, holistic care tailored to the unique needs of individuals living with advanced MS, focusing on symptom relief, quality of life, and comprehensive support for both patients and their families.
NeMO Clinic (Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder and MOG-Associated Disease Clinic):
The NeMO Clinic is a specialized clinic providing comprehensive care for patients with Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD) and Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein (MOG)-associated diseases. This clinic focuses on the unique challenges of these rare neurological disorders and ensures that patients receive expert care tailored to their specific needs. The clinic is also involved in a national registry (CANOPTICS), which facilitates long-term data collection to advance understanding and treatment of these conditions, as well as Industry Sponsored Clinical Trials. This specialized care approach helps improve outcomes and provides cutting-edge therapy options for patients.
Exceptional MS Research and Teaching Programs:
In addition to providing high-quality patient care, our clinic has robust research and teaching programs. We are actively involved in industry-sponsored clinical trials, ensuring our patients have access to the latest treatments and innovations in multiple sclerosis care. Our strong commitment to education also means that fellows from all over the world come to our clinic to learn from our expert team and advance their knowledge in MS and related disorders. As a teaching hospital, we host medical students and residents from the University of Western Ontario, as well as national and international visitors.
