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The Prevalence of Alternative-complementary Therapies in Patients with MS

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  • The Prevalence of Alternative-complementary Therapies in Patients with MS

    The full study is an interesting read. It was done in Turkey, which introduces its own wrinkles. -D

    The Prevalence of Alternative-complementary Therapies in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

    Rabia Gökçen, Gözübatık Çelik, Musa Öztürk, Serap Altın, Mesrure Köseoğlu, Hande Sarıahmetoğlu, Mesude Tütüncü, Aysun Soysal
    Istanbul Bakirkoy Prof. Dr. Mazhar Osman Mental Health and Nerve Diseases Training and Research Hospital, Clinic of Neurology,
    Istanbul, Turkey

    Objective: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic demyelinating/degenerative disease of the central nervous system that causes disability in young adults.

    Complementary medicine (CM) and alternative medicine (AM) as a concept is outside the scope of traditional medicine and generally includes all diagnostic and treatment methods for which scientific data are insufficient. Facilitating access to alternative-complementary therapies makes their use widespread. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge level of patients with MS by using a questionnaire and the knowledge of the perception of AM.

    Materials and Methods: Patients who were definitively diagnosed as having MS-clinically isolated syndrome in the clinic of our hospital were included on a voluntary basis. Sociodemographic characteristics, type of MS, date of diagnosis, number of attacks, and MS disability scale were recorded. The questionnaire, which was prepared for alternative or complementary therapies used, was completed by the same researcher. Data were analysed using SPSS 21 program.

    Results: Two hundred ten patients with MS were included in our study. It was determined that all patients were aware of AM/CM treatments, the highest rate of information was obtained from the internet (76%), 1.4% AM, 49% CM was used. Ninety-seven % of the patients received TT for the purpose of relieving their symptoms (p≤0.005). Mostly garlic (83.4%), caper (79.6%), ginger (69.9%), and goat’s milk (60%) was used. CM was statistically significantly higher in the first decade (p≤0.005). It was observed that 32% of the patients used TT after the 2nd MS attack without any significance.

    Conclusion: Our study showed that patients with MS used CM temporarily and with high rates. In contrast to the literature, the rate of use in the first period of the disease was found to be significantly higher. This condition was interpreted as the fact that at the beginning of the disease it could be made with the hope of fighting MS and fully recovering, but after the understanding of the nature of the disease, the use of AM/CM decreased.

    Keywords: Multiple sclerosis treatment, alternative medicine, complementary medicine

    FULL STUDY (pdf), FREE:
    https://www.journalagent.com/tjn/pdf...158%5BA%5D.pdf
    Dave Bexfield
    ActiveMSers

  • #2
    Well.... I'm in Canada but I fit that bill. I tried a reputable naturopath who are determined they can cure me. Took samples and showed me a heavy metal load in my blood. Tried to filter that, then said I had Lyme disease, now they want my fillings removed. To the tune of 400-500$ a month and no results. Haven't been back in awhile b/c the only thing that has helped is Tysabri and exercise. I'm not giving up on them 100% but I'm close

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    • #3
      I’ve had similar experiences as you drillerdou. I think years of chasing the next best thing gives a MSer burnout as well as empty pockets. This leads to more hesitancy to jump at another holistic solution, even if the science supports it. I disagree with the article’s conclusion, however, to the extent that I was never naive enough to seek an all out “cure” but rather relief from various symptoms of MS and of course slowing or reversing disability. Years ago I had A watershed moment, a reminder to be sure that i balance hope with caution when I stumbled across a YouTube video by a credible famous MS patient who had undergone the controversial CCSVI treatment and achieved incredible remission or “cure”. I Immediately researched it voraciously, the science seemed rational and I made the mental decision on the spot that I would pursue this option, take this risk. I felt so elated with hope and couldn’t gather the information on it fast enough. Then, very soon afterwards I learned that I was late to this party and the procedure had been discredited, and the doctor who promoted this solution severely critiqued. In front of my computer, i sobbed those big gasping sobs, the kind that makes your chest heave, and normally not the crying kind, I let myself feel the grief, the loss of this newly found hope that was taken from me as quickly as I had found it. The sting of that experience has never left me and I have not allowed myself to be sucked in to feeling that same level of hope and elation I felt when I learned about ccsvi.

      Here is the most recent article about ccsvi—-tSafety and efficacy of venoplasty in MS
      Anthony L. Traboulsee, Lindsay Machan, J. Marc Girard, Jean Raymond, Reza Vosoughi, Brian W. Hardy, Francois Emond, Jean-Luc Gariepy, Jeffrey N. Bone, Gary Siskin, Darren Klass, Saul Isserow, Judy Illes, A. Dessa Sadovnick, David K. Li
      Neurology Oct 2018, 91 (18) e1660-e1668; DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000006423

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