Multiple Sclerosis - Alternative Therapies

By David Perlmutter, MD, FACN

At a recent conference sponsored by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, researchers reported the results of a survey of 240 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Surprisingly, over half of the respondents reported choosing some form of alternative therapy, typically in conjunction with more mainstream approaches. The most commonly used alternative therapies included acupuncture, supplemental calcium, chiropractic therapy, homeopathy, marijuana, massage therapy, meditation, visualization, vitamin B complex, vitamin C, vitamin E, and yoga.

The study, reported by Monica Pignotti, MSW, CSW, was reported at a conference on "Multiple Sclerosis and Quality of Life." As reported in the September, 1997 issue of Neurology Reviews, "Realistic rationales were generally cited for the use of alternative treatment approaches. In most cases, patients tried the alternatives to ‘maximize overall health and to manage some of the stress’ involved in living with MS," said Ms. Pignotti, who is a research consultant with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The two most frequently cited specific reasons for choosing alternative therapies were symptom relief and stress relief. However, 11% of respondents did believe that alternative approaches might have a potential to reverse or slow the progression of disease. As Ms. Pignotti stated, "While some practitioners of complementary therapies hold out unsubstantiated promises and claims of a cure for MS, this study found that the majority of respondents used such treatments with relatively realistic expectations to enhance their overall health and sense of emotional well-being, rather than as a hope for cure….. Multiple sclerosis is a disease with no known cure and an unpredictable course. Alternative treatments are of greater interest to people with MS because of the hope they offer for improved quality of life."

Leading medical journals have published articles attesting to the usefulness of specific dietary measures in multiple sclerosis for the past several decades. Yet there still seems to be a profound reluctance on the part of the mainstream to embrace this information despite its scientific substantiation. Fortunately, as this survey describes, a majority of MS patients are looking beyond the prescriptions of the mainstream and availing themselves of many potentially useful therapies. As Ms. Pignotti concluded, "Today’s alternative therapy might well be tomorrow’s conventional approach."