MALS Foundation - National Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome Foundation

03/27/2026

We know you have a MALS Bestie! It can be incredible to find someone who just understands what you are going through without having to explain anything.

03/20/2026

We hope you are having a good body day instead of a trap card day.

03/13/2026

Doctors used to think that you either had MALS or SMAS. It was considered impossible to have both. But I think we have a few patients in our community who prove that wrong.

03/07/2026

What were some of the expenses you dealt with during your MALS Journey?

Living with MALS can be incredibly challenging. Not only does it demand significant financial resources for medical treatments and consultations, but it also affects your social interactions and relationships. You may find yourself withdrawing from activities you once enjoyed due to physical discomfort or the stress of managing symptoms. The constant balancing act between addressing your health needs and maintaining a semblance of normalcy can be exhausting. Additionally, explaining your condition to others and seeking their understanding adds another layer of complexity. It's important to acknowledge these challenges and seek support from healthcare professionals, support groups, and loved ones to navigate the difficulties that MALS presents.

03/06/2026

Did you have to bring MALS up to your doctors?

So many MALS patients have to play detective to get a diagnosis. It can be incredibly validating when you get the tests back and finally have the answer you've been looking for.

03/05/2026

Some people can't remember the last time they experienced pain while others can't remember the last time they had a pain free day.

03/04/2026

What term did your physician use when they diagnosed you with MALS?

This condition has been known by several names over the years, and even today, new terms are introduced by doctors, which can create confusion both for patients and within the medical field. Although MALS has been the most common designation for some time, other terms still occasionally surface.

03/03/2026

MALS symptoms can look like a multitude of different conditions which can send doctors on a wild goose chase.

Plain Text:
If your symptoms don’t fit one specialty, that’s a clue about biology, not psychology.

03/01/2026

How you talk to yourself matters. We all can be self critical to a fault sometimes. So try to be kind to yourself. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health.

03/01/2026

As we move from February into March, we wanted to showcase the amazing organizations we work with behind the scenes.

We are working our way around the globe, hoping that someday there will be organizations everywhere helping vascular compression patients.

There are currently organizations in:
Argentina, Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Slovakia, Spain, and the United States
🇦🇷🇦🇹🇧🇬🇨🇿🇫🇷🇩🇪🇸🇰🇪🇸🇺🇸

Organizations just beginning:
Belgium, Israel, the Netherlands, Mexico, and the United Kingdom
🇧🇪🇮🇱🇳🇱🇲🇽🇬🇧

We can’t wait to see that list grow as we continue our mission in supporting not only the MALS community but the vascular compression community as a whole.

You can find them at:
.ok .sk

02/28/2026

Today, we focus on the bigger community we are a part of. Vascular Compression Syndromes can come in pairs or groups.

Not even 20 years ago, this was considered a medical and statistical impossibility. Yet we are seeing more and more patients getting multiple compression diagnoses. But the mindset that it's not possible still reigns supreme for some doctors.

This delay in care can put patients in a life or death scenario by the time they are diagnosed. Doctors need to be better educated about these conditions. It also comes back to the old question of whether MALS is a rare condition or is it rarely diagnosed?

Require Mandatory Education on Vascular Compression Syndromes in Clinical Training