Bryan Bickell, Former Blackhawk, Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis

Former Chicago Blackhawks forward Bryan Bickell was recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. (Credit: Chicago Blackhawks / Facebook)Former Chicago Blackhawks forward Bryan Bickell was recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. (Credit: Chicago Blackhawks / Facebook)

Late last week it was announced that former Chicago Blackhawks forward Bryan Bickell, 30, has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Bickell, who won three Stanley Cup Championships with the Blackhawks, now plays for the Carolina Hurricanes.

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“Since the 2015 playoffs, I’ve been struggling to understand what’s been going on with my body,” Bickell said in a statement. “Again during the past few weeks, it felt like something wasn’t right.”

During the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs, Bickell developed several health issues including vertigo, according to the Chicago Tribune. More recently Bickell said he felt a shooting pain in his shoulder that didn’t subside and spread to his leg after a couple of days.

“Everybody knows your (own) body and what's normal, what's not normal,” Bickell told the Tribune. “This was definitely not normal.”

After undergoing various tests, Bickell was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system that can be potentially disabling.

The cause of the disease is unknown but clinicians believe certain people are genetically predisposed to develop MS. Environmental factors that have yet to be identified may also trigger the disease, according to Dr. Arthur Itkin, a neurologist at Advocate Christ Medical Center’s Neurosciences Institute in Oak Lawn.

“Once you make a diagnosis, it’s hard to predict how the patient will behave in terms of progression of the disease and prognosis of the disease,” said Itkin, who did not examine or treat Bickell.

Yet making a multiple sclerosis diagnosis can be difficult because signs and symptoms vary from person to person. The most common symptoms include numbness or weakness in an arm or leg on one side of the body, blurred vision and fatigue.

“I am hopeful I will be able to return to the ice and continue playing the game that I love.”

–Bryan Bickell


In addition to the array of symptoms, there isn’t a definitive test for multiple sclerosis. If a physician suspects a patient has MS based on his or her symptoms, then a physician will order tests, like an MRI, blood test or spinal tap. These tests can be used to rule out other diseases that produce similar symptoms and to see if the results match certain markers for MS, according to Itkin.

Most people who have MS are diagnosed with remitting-relapsing multiple sclerosis, which is when patients experience symptoms for a period of time – days, weeks or months – and then go into remission as their symptoms improve partially or completely.

As the disease progresses, the majority of patients with remitting-relapsing multiple sclerosis develop a steady progression of the disease, known as secondary-progressive MS.

About three-quarters of people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis are women, Itkin said, “but men who get the disease typically have a more aggressive form. … [But] we have aggressive therapies.”

As for athletes who develop MS, “we keep patients very active,” Itkin said. “If you saw some of my multiple sclerosis patients walking down the street, you wouldn’t know they have MS. They function normally.”

Like many diseases, an early diagnosis is important for treatment because “treatments are more effective when introduced early,” Itkin said. 

Fortunately for Bickell, he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis early in its progression, according the Tribune.  

While there is no cure for multiple sclerosis, there are various treatments aimed at managing symptoms, speeding recovery from attacks and slowing the progression of the disease. Treatments include various medications and forms of physical therapy. 

Despite the lack of a cure, the quality of life for people with multiple sclerosis has improved dramatically over the past five to 10 years in large part due to advances in medications, says Itkin. 

“The disease has not been conquered,” Itkin cautioned, adding some people experience severe forms of the disease. “We still have work to do.”

Despite his diagnosis Bickell is hopeful he’ll be back on the ice.

“Obviously this is a bit of a shock for my family and me, but I am hopeful I will be able to return to the ice and continue playing the game that I love,” Bickell said in a statement.

Bickell’s positive outlook is something Itkin says he encourages all of his patients to adopt.

“You can’t predict how a patient’s going to do with MS, but I always tell my patients, ‘You might have MS, but don’t let MS have you,’” he said. “You have to have an attitude that allows you to deal with this condition.”

Follow Kristen Thometz on Twitter: @KristenThometz


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