Multiple Sclerosis Centers of Excellence

Living Well and Whole Health

Wellness is about physical, emotional, spiritual, and psychological well-being. Staying well with MS means not just keeping on top of your MS, but also taking charge of your general health. Staying well may require you to take a holistic look at the many areas of life that can affect your health — your work environment, relationships, diet, sleep patterns, and more.

The Whole Health approach considers how the Veteran defines wellness, and supports the Veteran’s goals as they relate to physical wellness, desired life activities, emotional well-being, relationships, diet, exercise level, and so forth. We now realize that being healthy and well is much more than making the symptoms go away. Whole Health also considers new and complimentary methods of treatment, including such things as Yoga, Tai-Chi, chiropractic care, acupuncture, or other modalities that Veterans want to use in their care. The principles of Whole Health are all about quality of life.

Active Involvement in Health Care Choices

• Living Your Best Life with MS
• Making the Most of Your MS Telehealth Visit
• MS Overview Booklet
• Preparing for Your MS Office Visit
• Resilience: Addressing the Challenges of MS
• Staying Well with MS
• VA Patient Centered Care: Whole Health
• Vascular Disease Risk Factors and MS
• Whole Health in the VA

Complementary and Alternative Therapy

• Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• Integrative Health and Wellness
• Stem Cell Therapy for MS
• Updates on Vitamin D
• National MS Society: Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Diet and Nutrition

• Dietary Changes for People with MS
• Diet and MS: Is There a Relationship?
• Updates on Vitamin D
• VA Weight Management Program for Veterans
• National MS Society: Diet and Nutrition

Exercise

• Adaptive Movement for Improved Wellbeing
• Exercise and MS
• Get Out and Play    
• Planning Your Activities and Designing an Exercise Program
• Six Exercise Tips for MS
• Staying Active While Living with MS
• National MS Society: Exercise

Heating and Cooling

• How to Beat the Heat
• Keep Cool: MS and Heat Tolerance

Home Safety

• Home Safety Evaluation
• There's No Place Like My Home

Smoking Cessation

• Smoking and MS
• VA Tobacco and Health
• National MS Society: Smoking

Social Support and Relationships

• Caring for the Caregiver
• Communication Matters: Self-Advocacy
• Creating a Support Network
• Relationships: Improving the Lines of Communication
• National MS Society: Find Support

Stress

• Being Mindful of the Present Moment
• Coping Strategies for People with MS
• Mindfulness Strategies for Healthy Living
• Music Therapy in MS
• Stress and MS: Can Meditation Help?

Viruses and Vaccines

• Epstein Barr Virus and MS
• Vaccines and MS: A Practical Guide
• National MS Society: Vaccinations

Additional Information

• Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• VA National Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

Disclaimer: Links are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only. They do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by MSCoE of any of the products, services, or opinions of the organization. MSCoE bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality, or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links. Contact the external site for answers to questions regarding its content.

return to top