What is Multiple Sclerosis and alternative medicine?

"Multiple sclerosis (MS) is thought to be an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS). The CNS consists of the brain, spinal cord, and the optic nerves. Surrounding and protecting the nerve fibers of the CNS is a fatty tissue called myelin, which helps nerve fibers conduct electrical impulses."

"In MS, myelin is lost in multiple areas, leaving scar tissue called sclerosis. These damaged areas are also known as plaques or lesions. Sometimes the nerve fiber itself is damaged or broken. Myelin not only protects nerve fibers, but makes their job possible. When myelin or the nerve fiber is destroyed or damaged, the ability of the nerves to conduct electrical impulses to and from the brain is disrupted, and this produces the various symptoms of MS."
( www.nationalmssociety.org/What%20is%20MS.asp)

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There are many multiple sclerosis alternative medicine options that can be used in addition to conventional medicine to alleviate the symptoms of MS and strengthen the body. Alternative medicine, or medical practices outside the current mainstream, are very useful for treating autoimmune diseases.

What causes MS and how Multiple Sclerosis alternative medicine can help

"MS is a chronic, unpredictable neurological disease that affects the central nervous system. It is not contagious or directly inherited nor is it considered a fatal disease. The majority of people with MS don.t become severely disabled."

"While the exact cause of MS is unknown, most researchers believe that the damage to myelin results from an abnormal response by the body.s immune system. Normally, the immune system defends the body against foreign invaders such as viruses or bacteria. In autoimmune diseases, the body attacks its own tissue. Since it is believed that MS is an autoimmune disease, it is also believed that myelin is attacked."

Scientists do not yet know what triggers the immune system to do this. Most agree that several factors are involved, including genetics, gender, and environmental triggers such as viruses, trauma, and heavy metals." (www.nationalmssociety.org/What%20causes%20MS.asp). There is not cure yet, but drugs and Multiple Sclerosis alternative medicine can slow the course of the disease and control symptoms in some patients.

Diagnosis Multiple Sclerosis and Alternative Medicine

"Diagnosing multiple sclerosis is anything but easy. There is no one specific test for the disease and it is not even certain that it is only one disease. To an extent, getting an MS diagnosis (dx) is a process of eliminating all other possibilities. Typically, people who have finally been diagnosed with MS will have been through several diagnostic stages. The process is often drawn out over months and years." (www.mult-sclerosis.org/diagnosingms.html) Diseases, like MS, about which so little is known are usually the best candidates for treatment with multiple sclerosis alternative medicine. Most alternative medicine approaches are geared at strengthening the body as a whole and therefore easing symptoms.

"Because no single test is available to identify or rule out MS, several tests and procedures are needed. These are likely to include a complete medical history, and an overview of the individual's health picture and symptoms. There will also be testing of nervous system functions such as reflexes, balance, coordination, and vision, as well as checking for areas of numbness."

"Diagnostic tests such as an MRI scan, which gives a detailed view of the brain, are used. Also used are evoked potential tests, which measure how quickly and accurately a person's nervous system responds to certain stimulation and a spinal tap, which checks spinal fluid for signs of the disease."

"Two basic signs are required to confirm MS. Signs of disease in different parts of the nervous system and signs of at least two separate flare-ups (also called relapses or exacerbations) of the disease." (www.nationalmssociety.org/Diagnosis.asp)

Who gets MS and uses multiple sclerosis alternative medicine?

The ambiguity around MS is scary and it is hard to take preventative measures because little is known about why some people get MS. The disease seems to strike randomly and mysteriously. While anyone can develop MS, some patterns have emerged.

"Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50. Two to three times as many women as men have MS. Studies indicate that genetic factors make certain individuals more susceptible than others, but there is no evidence that MS is directly inherited."

"MS occurs more commonly among people with northern European ancestry, but people of African, Asian, and Hispanic backgrounds are not immune. Approximately 400,000 Americans acknowledge having MS, and every week about 200 people are diagnosed. Worldwide, MS may affect 2.5 million individuals."

Because many holes exist in conventional medicine in understanding MS, many people have turned to multiple sclerosis alternative medicine to find deeper answers about their bodies, what caused the disease and how best to treat it. It is not uncommon for people to use both traditional and alternative treatments to keep the condition at bay.

MS symptoms could be benign or severe, but almost all people diagnosed with the condition experience a degree of emotional angst, anger and depression. Multiple sclerosis alternative medicine could offer mind-body treatments like biofeedback therapy, hypnosis, meditation, yoga or guided imagery to help with the emotional consequences of the disease.

Have you read our information on Diabetes Alternative Medicine, or Allergy Herbal Medicine? Trinity Clinic is a Seattle Holistic Center that strives to provide excellent information and services.