MS Living Well Podcast. Boosting Brain Health: Blueprint for MS

Living with multiple sclerosis brings unique challenges to brain health, but there are powerful steps you can take to support and protect your mind. Exercise not only improves endurance and reduces fatigue, but also helps rewire brain networks to promote resilience. Restorative sleep is essential, as it helps clear inflammation in the brain—so addressing disrupted sleep is a must. Nourish yourself with fruits and vegetables while cutting out sugary drinks and highly processed meats. Strengthen your social connections and lean on your support circle. When it comes to managing stress, discover what works best for you, whether it’s music, yoga, meditation, or a favorite hobby.

MS can cause the brain to shrink faster than normal—a process called atrophy—so protecting your brain reserves is crucial. Starting with effective disease-modifying therapy is key, but it doesn’t stop there. Keep your brain engaged by reading, learning a new language, or picking up an instrument. If you smoke, creating a plan to quit is one of the most important steps you can take to reduce physical and cognitive decline. While MS can be unpredictable, you have the power to shape your brain health and preserve what matters most.

This podcast episode is sponsored by TG Therapeutics.

Lisa Doggett MD MPH

Lisa Doggett MD MPH is a family and lifestyle medicine physician at UT Health Austin’s Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Center. She trained at Amherst College, Baylor College of Medicine, and the University of Texas School of Public Health, and completed her family medicine residency at the University of Cincinnati. She is the author of the award-winning memoir Up the Down Escalator: Medicine, Motherhood, and Multiple Sclerosis.

Augusto Miravelle MD

Augusto Miravalle MD is Chief of the Multiple Sclerosis Center and Professor in the Department of Neurological Sciences at Rush University in Chicago. He completed his neurology residency at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago, followed by a fellowship in neuroimmunology at Harvard University’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America.