With the help of the FSS, the examiner rates your disability on the EDSS scale. It ranges from 0 to 10, with half points for greater specificity. Lower numbers indicate less severe disability. Higher numbers reflect a greater degree of disability, mostly in relation to mobility:
- 0 = Normal
- 1-1.5 = No disability, but some abnormal neurological signs
- 2-2.5 = Minimal disability
- 3-4.5 = Moderate disability, affecting daily activities, but you can still walk
- 5-8 = More severe disability, impairing your daily activities and requiring assistance with walking
- 8.5-9.5 = Very severe disability, restricting you to bed
- 10 = Death It's important to recognize that a one-point change at the lower end of the scale reflects more subtle changes than at the upper end of the scale. For example, a one-point change between 2 and 3 is not as great a progression of disability as between 8 and 9.