MS Clinic

Specialized Multiple Sclerosis Care at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital

You can count on our expertise at the Wentworth-Douglass Hospital Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Center when you or a loved one is diagnosed with MS.

Led by Dr. Alexandra Filippakis, a board-certified, fellowship-trained neurologist who specializes in MS, our MS Center offers you the specialized care you need for MS. We are a full member of the Consortium of MS Centers and have been named a Partner in MS Care by the National MS Society.

MS is a complex autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). Symptoms can range from weakness and sensory disturbances to visual changes, impaired balance, pain, depression and changes in cognition and memory.

Our multidisciplinary team-based approach, and collaboration with Mass General Brigham, offer you comprehensive, patient-centered care focused on managing your disease activity, providing symptomatic relief, maximizing your functioning and promoting your general wellness.

• Depending on your specific needs, our MS Center services may include:
• Consultations with an MS-trained neurologist
• An MS-Specific Rehabilitation Program, including physical, occupational and speech therapy
• Hospital-based infusion treatment center
• Dedicated women’s health providers
• Advanced imaging and laboratory services
• Neuropsychology support
• Nurse navigator
• Social work support
• Support groups

World-Class Connections

As part of Mass General Brigham, WDH has access to clinical trials and sub-specialty care.

We also have a dedicated MS Nurse Navigator to help you access the services you need and to assist you in adhering to your treatment plan.

To make an appointment in either Dover or Portsmouth or to request more information, please call (603) 749-0913.

Community Support

Anyone interested should can call our office to speak to the Nurse Navigator 603-610-8075.

Join our Walk MS team! Learn more at http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/WDH_MS_Center

Want To Know More About MS?

Here’s a brief MS Q&A with Dr. Alexandra Filippakis:

Dr. Alexandra Filippakis is a board-certified neurologist and fellowship-trained Multiple Sclerosis (MS) specialist at Wentworth Health Partners Coastal Neurology Services.

Community Education Event (replay)
Multiple Sclerosis: A Modern Management Approach

Learn more about MS and the MS Clinic at Coastal Neurology Services in the following Q&A with Dr. Filippakis.

Q: What is Multiple Sclerosis (MS)?
AF: MS is a complex autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). Patients can experience symptoms including weakness, sensory disturbances, visual changes, impaired balance, difficulty walking, bowel/bladder/sexual dysfunction, fatigue, pain, depression, and changes in cognition and memory.

Q: How is MS diagnosed?
AF: MS is diagnosed by taking a careful history and performing a complete neurological examination, in addition to testing which may include an MRI, blood work, and lumbar puncture (spinal tap).

Q: How is MS treated?
AF: MS is treated with DMTs (disease-modifying medications) that “calm down” the immune system to prevent or slow down relapses and disability progression. Currently, there are about 20 FDA-approved DMTs for MS, with more treatments being introduced every year. MS specialists often prescribe medications and treatments for symptomatic relief of neuropathic pain, bladder dysfunction, fatigue, cognitive changes, and depression.

Acute relapses are often treated with high-dose IV steroids, Vitamin D supplementation, smoking cessation, a healthy diet and exercise. Rehab services, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathologists, are also integral parts of a comprehensive treatment plan.

Q: What do you enjoy most about treating MS patients?
AF: MS is the most fulfilling subspecialty of neurology, both academically and personally. I get the opportunity to experience rapidly-evolving research and scientific breakthroughs that inform my treatment decisions. Because there are so many treatment options, I can offer several different therapies to each patient. Early diagnosis and treatment can truly change a patient’s disease course and offer hope for the future. I also find it rewarding to help patients cope with their diagnosis and to support them on their MS journey.

Q: What do specialty clinics like the MS Clinic mean for patients?
AF: The MS Clinic provides comprehensive care of the whole patient, focusing on managing disease activity, providing symptomatic relief, maximizing functioning, and promoting general wellness.

As an MS fellowship-trained neurologist, I have received extra post-graduate training in the field of MS and other related disorders and will customize a treatment plan that works for each patient. If patients are interested, they might have the opportunity to participate in clinical trials. The most effective MS care requires a team-based approach, and patients may be referred to other specialists such as urologists, ophthalmologists, neuropsychologists, physiatrists, and pain management doctors.

To learn more about the Multiple Sclerosis Clinic, please call (603) 749-0913.