Montel says that the 1.5 million people in America living with MS suffer a little differently.

"My primary symptom is pain," he says. "I've got pain from my shins to my feet, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and it's been there for the last 10 years."

Recently, the pain spread to Montel's face. "It literally feels like you're taking a fork and stabbing me right now. People say, 'How the devil do you deal with this?'" he says. "You have to get a grip."

Montel says he's learned psychiatric and psychological techniques to shift focus away from the intense, burning sensation. "I bundle up the pain and keep it in a box,' he says. "Put it away, dampen it down over here so I can deal with other things."