I have gained a lot of knowledge from this marvellous Nervous System course. Multiple Sclerosis, or MS, is one of the common neurological disorders. Since I have been working as a remedial massage therapist, most of my patients are unhealthy and stressed. The desire to understand the cause and mechanism of these symptoms has inspired me to study more about neuroscience. This course had changed my life forever.

1. I have gained a lot of knowledge from this marvellous Nervous System course. Multiple Sclerosis, or
MS, is one of the common neurological disorders. It is a debilitating disease in subtle unseen ways
inside the brain. This is one of the Demyelinating disease problems in Glia cell, Oligodendrocytes in
the Central Nerve System.
Every Christmas our family always visits my husband’s best friend in Queensland, Australia. Before
my husband’s best friend was diagnosed with MS, he had always been complaining about the pain
around his neck. As I am a remedial massage therapist, I’ve always offered him treatment and given
hi, some advice to exercise but his pain never went away. He also mentioned hearing noises that
sounded like someone scrunching paper.
Based on what my friend told me, I have searched for more information about disease related to MS
in several sources on the internet. There are numerous people who have shared their experiences
with different symptoms. My friend’s symptom seems to be close to a disease called “Hyperacusis”.
It can occur from an injury or a disease that affects the brainstem or vestibulocochlear nerve, which
is the nerve function for controlling hearing and balance. In MS, Hyperacusis can happen when the
disease affects the brainstem. It can also cause the patient to experience physical pain from the
everyday sound. As this is a very rear disease, treatment for this condition is limited, but lifestyle is
the key to coping with this. This sound sensitivity can interfere with your ability to concentrate,
socialize or even sleep. My friend has been suffering from this on a daily basis for a while. Hopefully,
the communication between the researchers and clinicians will find a way to cure this illness soon,
so that these patients will no longer continue to be subjected to harmful and painful treatment.
Another case is from one of my favourite patients. She has been seeing me for over a year regarding
her MS symptom, which I provide her massage treatment. She told me that her hands and legs are
becoming very weak, sometime cramped. Her muscle also feels like there is a pin or needle pinching
it. Based on my knowledge, I can assume that her MS causing motor function difficulties. It can slow
down sensory signals sent to the brain.
Since I have been working as a remedial massage therapist, most of my patients are unhealthy and
stressed. Their common symptoms are experiencing chronic pain, anxiety, fatigue, and general
feelings of being out of control and unwell. The desire to understand the cause and mechanism of
these symptoms has inspired me to study more about neuroscience. So far, I found this course truly
amazing. It is beyond my expectation. I managed to grasp the basic understanding from this course
thanks to Peggy Mason from the University of Chicago, the people who donated their bodies, and
Coursera. It is a great opportunity to understand how the brain functions and how the complex
systems are linked to one another, and much ability the Axon can perform, etc. This course also
allows me to study the human brain, part of spinal cord, brainstem, cerebral cortex, and so on, in
such a meticulous way, which I will never ever have any chance to explore all of this wonderful
information in my life. This course has changed my life forever.
Thammachat Thammawong
21 September 2021