Alternative Medicines for MS

Alternative Medicines for MS

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) includes a variety of interventions—from exercise and dietary supplements to stress management strategies, biofeedback, and acupuncture. These therapies—which come from many different disciplines and traditions—are generally considered to be outside the realm of conventional medicine. When used in combination with conventional medicine, they are referred to as “complementary;” when used instead of conventional medicine, they are referred to as “alternative.” In the United States today, approximately 75% of people with MS use one form or another of CAM, generally in combination with their prescribed MS treatments

Are CAM Therapies Safe to Use?

Many people use CAM because they believe that anything sold over-the-counter at a pharmacy or health food store is healthy and harmless. However, unlike conventional medical treatments—which are thoroughly tested and carefully regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration—most CAM therapies have undergone very little, if any, scientific study. So some may be completely safe while others may actually pose significant risks—for example, by producing serious side effects or interacting negatively with other medications a person is taking.

Fortunately, a greater effort is now being made to find ways to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of various types of CAM.

Recommended Guidelines to Follow

People who are considering using a CAM therapy should ask the following questions:

What does the treatment involve?

How and why is it supposed to work?

How effective is it?

What are the risks?

How much does it cost?

The answers to these questions can help a person considering a CAM therapy to weigh the benefits against the risks. For those who decide to go ahead with the CAM therapy, here are some good, common sense recommendations:

Keep your physician informed about everything you are taking. Not sharing this important information is like asking your physician to treat you blindfolded—and knowing everything you are taking will allow your doctor to alert you to possible side effects or drug interactions.

Don't abandon conventional therapy. The treatments your physician prescribes for you are the ones that have been evaluated in controlled clinical trials or accepted by the MS medical community as safe and effective therapies. So stay with your prescribed treatments even if you decide to add CAM to your treatment plan.

Document the experience. Keep a detailed log of what you take or what is done and any changes you experience.

Support Multiple Sclerosis!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Support Multiple Sclerosis!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

MS Awareness Month is March. The MS Awareness Week main week is 11-17, and it's a great opportunity to spread awareness for multiple sclerosis. Advances in research are moving us closer to stopping the disease, restoring function that has been lost and ending MS forever. Moreover, MS has moved from an untreatable disease in 1993 to a treatable one today for the vast majority of people now diagnosed, thanks to the growing public support spurring exciting research and treatment breakthroughs that improve people’s quality of life.

This is a very encouraging time if you have MS or know someone who lives with the disease because the first oral therapies that treat MS and manage MS symptoms are now available for those with relapsing forms of the disease. This is also a watershed year with more than a dozen therapies moving through the pipeline that hold promise of new and improved treatments for MS. Therefore, advancing MS research and enhancing program services are ever more important.



More Info About MS and How It May Affect You

More InfoAbout MS and How It May Affect You

More Information About MS

There are four types of MS,

• Relapsing-Remitting MS
  People with this type of MS experience clearly defined attacks of worsening neurologic function. These attacks, which are called relapses or flare-ups, are followed by partial or complete recovery periods (remissions). Approximately 85% of people are initially diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS.
• Secondary-Progressive MS
  Following an initial period of relapsing-remitting MS, many people develop a secondary-progressive disease course in which the disease worsens more steadily, with or without occasional flare-ups, minor recoveries (remissions), or plateaus. Approximately 50% of people with relapsing-remitting MS develop secondary-progressive MS within 10 years.
• Primary-Progressive MS
  With this type of MS, neurologic function slowly worsens. There are no distinct relapses or remissions. Approximately 10% of people are diagnosed with primary-progressive MS.
• Progressive-Relapsing MS
  In this relatively rare course of MS, people experience steadily worsening disease from the beginning, but with clear attacks of worsening neurologic function along the way. They may or may not experience some recovery following these relapses, but the disease continues to progress without remissions. Approximately 5% of people are diagnosed with progressive-relapsing MS.

How MS May Affect You

Multiple Sclerosis can cause a variety of symptoms. These include;

• sensation changes
• muscle weakness
• muscle spasms
• movement difficulties
• reduced coordination and balance
• speech or swallowing problems
• visual disturbances
• fatigue
• acute or chronic pain syndromes
• bladder and bowel difficulties
• cognitive impairment
• depression

One important thing to remember about MS is that it effects everyone person differently. People normally only have a few of these symptoms.