LONDON, June 6 /PRNewswire/ -- A famous name in car manuals has taken a diversion to give male carers of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) a guide to help them deal with the everyday challenges of their role.

To coincide with Carers Week (9 June to 15 June), the MS Society has teamed up with the renowned publisher Haynes to produce MS Carers - The man's guide to caring for someone with multiple sclerosis.

The new manual is written in an accessible and familiar style and discusses everyday issues such as relationships, financial help and gives tips to help the carer to also look after their own health and wellbeing.

Jo Ridley, carers lead for the MS Society, said: "This is a great partnership and with the guide being in the style of a Haynes manual, it should help to make sense of a man's caring role, which can often be daunting.

"Research shows that men are more likely to ignore their health problems and if they are caring for someone else, to avoid admitting that they aren't coping. They are a target group for us and we hope that with this new publication, we'll be showing them that there is help out there."

The free Haynes guide has been produced in conjunction with the Men's Health Forum, a charity tackling male health issues.

Matthew Maycock, development manager at the charity said: "The Men's Health Forum is extremely pleased to see the launch of the MS Society Mini Manual. This new guide is an important resource that fills a gap in supporting male carers in their caring roles."

It will be made available to MS Society branches and information points and you can also order a free copy from the MS Society online by visiting http://www.mssociety.org.uk and clicking 'Support and Services', then 'free publications'.

A hi-res image of the cover is available on request.

Notes to Editors:

- The MS Society (http://www.mssociety.org.uk) is the UK's largest charity supporting everyone whose life is touched by MS, providing respite care, an award-winning freephone helpline (+44(0)808-800-8000), MS nurses and funds around 40 vital MS research projects in the UK.

- Multiple sclerosis is the most common disabling neurological disorder affecting young adults and an estimated 85,000 people in the UK have MS.

- MS is the result of damaged myelin - the protective sheath around the central nervous system nerve fibres - which interferes with messages between the brain and the body.

- For some people, MS is characterised by periods of relapse and remission while for others it has a progressive pattern.

- Symptoms range from loss of sight and mobility, fatigue, depression and cognitive problems. There is no cure and few effective treatments.

For media enquiries please contact the MS Society Press Office on +44(0)20-8438-0840, or the out of hours duty press officer on +44(0)7909-851401.