Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is well-managed using naturopathic medicine.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease in which your body’s immune system attacks the protective (myelin) sheath that covers your nerves, ultimately causing impairment of nerve signaling.
The cause of multiple sclerosis (MS) is not known, but genetics and childhood infections may play a role.
Symptoms and complications of multiple sclerosis (MS) vary widely depending on the amount of damage, which nerves are affected.
Seek professional healthcare if you experience any symptoms that causes you to suspect you may have multiple sclerosis (MS).
Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) can vary widely from person to person. Possible symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) include:
- Tremor, lack of coordination or unsteady gait
- Numbness or weakness in one or more limbs (typically occurring on one side, or in the lower part of your body)
- Tingling or pain in parts of your body
- Partial or complete loss of vision (usually in one eye at a time, often with pain during eye movement)
- Double- or blurring of vision
- Electric-shock sensations occurring with head movement
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) at Toronto Centre for Naturopathic Medicine
At Toronto Centre for Naturopathic Medicine, the goals of multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment are to reduce intensity of symptoms, slow disease progression and manage side effects of conventional multiple sclerosis (MS) medications.
Conventional treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) may include physical therapy, and variety of medications, including corticosteroids, interferons, glatiramer acetate, dimethyl fumarate, fingolimod, teriflunomide, natalizumab and mitoxantrone. These treatments may have short- or long-term side effects.
For this reason, you may choose to try natural treatment to possibly avoid use of conventional medications, or together with conventional medications in order to decrease dosages of conventional medications required to manage your multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms.
Naturopathic treatment of any chronic health concern must be recognized as a process that involves:
- Identifying specific treatment goals
- Development by your naturopathic doctor, of a thorough understanding of all factors affecting your health, including physical, psychological, emotional and lifestyle factors
- Development of a comprehensive treatment plan
- Implementation and maintenance of that plan through periodic monitoring and adjustment
At Toronto Centre for Naturopathic Medicine, a typical approach to treating multiple sclerosis (MS) may be to:
- Identify and address underlying factors in your lifestyle (e.g., poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, poor stress management) or general health (e.g., diabetes mellitus, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis) that may be contributing to your multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms
- Decrease your symptom severity by nourishing nerve tissue using nutritional counseling and nutritional supplements
- Decrease nerve damage caused by inflammation using botanical (herbal) medicines or nutritional supplements
- Maintain muscle function and tonicity using acupuncture or Bowen Therapy
- Prevent and manage any health conditions associated with impaired muscle control (e.g., respiratory infections)
Where appropriate, a number of therapeutic options are available, to be used alone, or more often in a complementary fashion, including:
- Nutritional counseling
- Nutritional supplements
- Metabolic detoxification protocols
- Botanical (herbal) medicines
- Acupuncture
- Homeopathy
- Bowen Therapy
- Suikodo™
- Hydrotherapy
- Exercise prescription
- Relaxation (meditation) training
- Lifestyle medicine and counseling
Treatments provided by naturopathic doctors are covered by most extended healthcare plans.
References
Multiple sclerosis [Internet]. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; [cited 2010 Jan 15]. Available from: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/multiple-sclerosis/DS00188.
Multiple sclerosis [Internet]. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; [cited 2015 Mar 25]. Available from: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/multiple-sclerosis/basics/treatment/con-20026689.
