putting on your outfit and going to the gym for an hour.
It can mean taking that extra time to walk to and from the grocery store parking a little bit further away, walk into your mailbox and back just doing a block. Right? So building in a little bit more movement every day will make a big difference. So those are the things that I recommend to my patients that they can do on a regular basis to empower themselves and to live well with MS.
Another thing that’s very important is to stop smoking. Smoking is not only a risk factor for multiple sclerosis, but it can cause someone to develop progressive disease earlier. So there are people who have a relapsing-remitting disease, the symptoms that come and go, but there’s progression where they just tend to get worse and worse and worse over time.
And so people have a faster change from relapsing-remitting to progressive disease if they are smoking. And also there are other conditions that can be affected by smoking as well. So that’s another important thing that someone can do is to stop smoking. To help themselves with multiple sclerosis.
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.