Alternative Medicine Treatment for MS

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if any of you have tried alternative medicine to alleviate symptoms of MS. I was recently experiencing several symptoms and feared that I had developed MS but had an MRI done that did not show any lesions. I'm in the scientific research profession and have been doing a lot of research online (specifically published case studies). I came across a few that mentioned chinese medicine as a treatment for MS and how it alleviated many symptoms. I was just curious whether or not anyone has sought treatment and what their outcomes were. I realize many of us have been trained to understand medicine in a western perspective (myself included) but if an alternative exists that can prevent MS symptoms from manifesting itself..well, I would love to know if it works and if so, how well. I realize that western medicine is very young compared to chinese medicine but with the numerous chronic diseases out there that are so difficult to treat, one can't help but wonder if there is something an older medicine may have to offer that a young one can't especially if it means aiding a lifelong struggle.

Unfortunately, western medicine has not been able to give me an official diagnosis but I have been taking chinese herbs for a few months now and my symptoms are slowly fading. Although it took me awhile to find a good chinese medicine practitioner where I could see results, I have to honestly say that the effort was worth it. I was just wondering how well it works for a more complicated disease like MS.

If any of you have any experiences you are willing to share or even thoughts on this topic, I would love to hear it. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask. To my understanding, most of these forums don't allow you to share your email address but if any of you would like to contact me and know of a way to do so please let me know. I wish you all well. Your courage is envious.

Post Edited By Moderator (LanieG) : 9/8/2009 7:36:48 AM (GMT-6)

I apologize, I didn't realize that website was selling anything and thought it was just reporting a patient's guide. I find this section the most interesting and would like to post it, I hope this portion of the article is ok. Again, my apologies.

"The duration of therapy for MS patients reported in Chinese studies ranges from two months to over two years; herbs used to prevent exacerbations might be taken for several more years. If the herbs are discontinued after the initial treatment period, some patients may remain free of symptoms for many years. In some cases, there can be a relapse, but prompt resumption of herb use will help the individual regain freedom from disease symptoms for a period of time. Despite the long duration of therapy necessary in some cases, it is not uncommon in China for improvements to be noted within the first two months.

Improvements to be expected include an enhancement in one’s overall sense of well-being, a reduction in the severity of persisting symptoms, a reduction in the use of drugs that control symptoms, including antidepressant drugs, and a reduction in the incidence of bouts of weakness. In some cases (perhaps 20%), the individual will apparently be cured.

In a Chinese study with 35 patients, four different herb formulas were developed. People were treated according to the diagnosis that would place each into one of the four broad diagnostic categories that matched the herb therapeutics. The complex herb formulas were prepared as decoctions (tea made by boiling the herbs for about 45 minutes) using 8 to 15 grams of each ingredient (a total of about 150 grams per day), consumed as a cooling drink (rather than hot, as many MS patients have an aversion to heat). Anti-inflammatory Western drugs were given during acute active periods of the disease. Except for three patients that discontinued treatment within the first ten days, some improvement was found in all who tried this method. Two cases were deemed basically cured after taking just 45 and 68 doses; 15 were markedly improved, and another 15 somewhat improved—most of them taking 20 to 40 doses. Eleven of the patients had tried corticosteroids unsuccessfully before switching to the traditional herb combinations; of these, 7 were markedly improved, 3 improved, and only 1 failed to respond.

The same researchers then conducted a study of prevention of exacerbations. 30 MS patients (15 male and 15 female) were given an herbal formula, called Ping Fu Tang, comprised of 17 herbs. Each herb was used in a dosage of 8–15 grams (except two auxiliary herbs used in low dosage), with a total daily dosage of about 150–180 grams of herbs in decoction. The herbs were taken in two to three divided doses each day. The patients took these herbs for a period of 3 to 13 years (average of 6 years) and during this period, only two mild exacerbations occurred in the group. By contrast, a control group of 15 MS patients had an exacerbation rate of 1–4 times per year.

Two case studies of MS treatments were reported from the work of Dr. Domei Yakazu in Japan. Good therapeutic results were described from the regular ingestion of an herb formula over a period of two and a half years in a man aged 48, and marked improvement was noted in a woman, aged 34, who consumed two traditional formulas for a period of approximately two months. According to a translated report from China , a female patient, aged 38, was treated with herb decoctions for about 15 weeks and was then given herb pills to take regularly for one year. The clinicians reported that she was cured as a result of the treatment. A general survey of Chinese journals shows that there are a small number of other similar reports, each article describing one or two patients treated with obvious benefit."