What do celebrities Clay Walker, Ann Romney and Richard Pryor have in common? They’ve all spoken publicly about their struggle with multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disorder that erodes nerve-coverings and affects the brain’s ability to communicate with the body, which can cause a variety of physical, mental and psychiatric problems.

Even though MS is the most common autoimmune disorder affecting the central nervous system, diagnosing MS is difficult. Symptoms may be invisible, general, ignored, or come and go.

The unreliability of signs of MS means that physicians have to rely on a combination of tests to accurately diagnose this disorder. One of their major diagnostic tools is an MRI scan, a painless radiology technique that uses a combination of magnetism and radio waves to produce a highly detailed image of the body. An MRI scan can reveal telltale lesions on the brain or spinal cord, leading to an accurate diagnosis 90–95% of the time.

Research in the diagnosis and treatment of MS has been making strides in recent years thanks in part to the national pledge-based fundraiser, Walk MS. Wyoming has six Walk MS events scheduled for this year, the largest of which is hosted in Cheyenne—so far more than 130 participants have been registered to walk with a fundraising total of $11,509 and climbing.

The Cheyenne Radiology team invites you to join them at Cheyenne’s Walk MS event on May 30th, where they will walk in support of all Wyomingites who struggle with this disorder.