Because multiple sclerosis is often difficult to treat, some patients turn to alternative medicine to help manage their condition. A disease of the central nervous system, multiple sclerosis is marked by damage to the myelin sheath (the insulating layer surrounding your nerves). When the myelin sheath is impaired, communication between the brain and body breaks down and triggers multiple sclerosis symptoms (such as blurred or double vision, muscle weakness, difficulty with coordination and balance, feelings of numbness or prickling, tremors, and dizziness). While no type of alternative medicine has been found to cure multiple sclerosis, certain alternative therapies show promise for management of multiple sclerosis symptoms.
The Science Behind Multiple Sclerosis and Alternative Medicine
To date, few studies have tested the effectiveness of alternative medicine in treatment of multiple sclerosis and its symptoms. Here's a look at some key findings from the available research:
1) Multiple Sclerosis and Acupuncture
Receiving acupuncture may improve quality of life in people with multiple sclerosis, according to a 2008 study from Clinical Rehabilitation. The study involved 14 patients with multiple sclerosis, all of whom received 10 acupuncture treatments over the course of five weeks. Although the study's authors found that acupuncture helped improve psychological well-being in the patients, they caution that their results are not conclusive (due to the small study size).
2) Multiple Sclerosis and Massage
Massage therapy may help alleviate constipation in multiple sclerosis patients, a 2011 study from the journal Multiple Sclerosis suggests. For four weeks, 30 patients either practiced self-massage on their abdominal area each day or followed bowel-management advice provided to them by the study's authors. While both groups experienced improvement in their symptoms, members of the massage group showed a significantly greater degree of improvement than those in the control group.
3) Multiple Sclerosis and Reflexology
For a 2003 study published in Multiple Sclerosis, researchers assigned 71 multiple sclerosis patients to 11 weeks of reflexology treatment or "nonspecific massage." Looking at data on the 53 patients who finished the study, the researchers found that reflexology appeared to improve urinary symptoms, paresthesias (abnormal prickling or tingling), and spasticity. In addition, members of the reflexology group showed improvement in muscle strength.
4) Multiple Sclerosis and Yoga
A 2004 study shows that practicing yoga may alleviate fatigue in multiple sclerosis patients. For six months, 69 patients took part in a weekly Iyengar yoga class along with home practice, a weekly exercise class using a stationary bicycle, or a waiting-list control group. Results revealed that neither yoga nor exercise improved mood, alertness, or cognitive function. However, both yoga and exercise seemed to boost energy and ease fatigue.
Should You Use Alternative Medicine for Multiple Sclerosis?
It's too soon to recommend any type of alternative medicine in treatment of multiple sclerosis. What's more, reducing or discontinuing your use of standard treatment and self-treating multiple sclerosis with alternative medicine can have serious health consequences. If you're interested in using alternative medicine to help manage multiple sclerosis, talk to your doctor about how to safely incorporate alternative medicine into your treatment program.
Sources
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke's Multiple Sclerosis Information Page. February 2011.
Huntley A. "A review of the evidence for efficacy of complementary and alternative medicines in MS." Int MS J. 2006 Jan;13(1):5-12, 4.
Donnellan CP, Shanley J. "Comparison of the effect of two types of acupuncture on quality of life in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis: a preliminary single-blind randomized controlled trial." Clin Rehabil. 2008 Mar;22(3):195-205.
McClurg D, Hagen S, Hawkins S, Lowe-Strong A. "Abdominal massage for the alleviation of constipation symptoms in people with multiple sclerosis: a randomized controlled feasibility study." Mult Scler. 2011 Feb;17(2):223-33.
Siev-Ner I, Gamus D, Lerner-Geva L, Achiron A. "Reflexology treatment relieves symptoms of multiple sclerosis: a randomized controlled study." Mult Scler. 2003 Aug;9(4):356-61.
Oken BS, Kishiyama S, Zajdel D, Bourdette D, Carlsen J, Haas M, Hugos C, Kraemer DF, Lawrence J, Mass M. "Randomized controlled trial of yoga and exercise in multiple sclerosis." Neurology. 2004 Jun 8;62(11):2058-64.
