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Multiple Sclerosis

Today, there are many medication options to treat MS. If one medication doesn’t work or causes severe side effects, there’s likely another option that could be a better fit.

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3 Most Common Types of Multiple Sclerosis, Defined by a Neurologist

The MS subtype you have may affect which treatment is right for you.

Mandy Armitage, MD profile image

Reviewed by Mandy Armitage, MD

Updated on August 5, 2025

Multiple sclerosis (MS) can look very different from one person to another. There are different types of MS, and these types progress in unique ways. Plus, each person may have a unique set of symptoms depending on which parts of the central nervous system are involved in their MS.

What are the types of multiple sclerosis?

Relapsing-remitting MS

“Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis is the most common MS subtype,” says Asaff Harel, MD, Neurologist at Lenox Hill Hospital, Northwell Health.

In this type of MS, the condition progresses in periods of relapses, and then improves in periods of remission. A relapse is an episode of sudden, new or worsened symptoms. Doctors may be able to see evidence of a relapse by identifying a new lesion on imaging tests.

Remission is a period of reduced or improved symptoms. In general, the new symptoms don’t usually improve all the way to where they were before the relapse. As a result, each relapse leads to progression of symptoms over time.

Primary progressive MS

“Primary progressive MS refers to a gradual neurological worsening over time,” says Harel. “That can be over months [or] years.” The symptoms do not get worse and then improve like relapsing-remitting MS — they just steadily become more severe over time.

Primary progressive MS tends to lead to more severe symptoms than relapsing-remitting MS.

Secondary progressive MS

With secondary progressive MS, the person may have relapsing-remitting MS at first, but then at some point the condition switches to a gradual progression (without periods of relapses and remissions).

Why does the type of MS matter?

“It’s important to discuss with your doctor what subtype of MS you have,” says Harel. “That can impact treatment decisions, different medications, as well as expectations.”

The right medication for you depends on which subtype of MS you have. There are some MS medications that work great for one subtype but not another. Make sure to discuss which MS subtype you have — and what to expect as you live with this condition.

References

National Multiple Sclerosis Society. (n.d.). Types of multiple sclerosis.

Tafti, D., et al. (2022). Multiple sclerosis. StatPearls.

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