The fact is that Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a progressively disabling disease that has no known cure. Often medications for MS are ineffective or may be poorly tolerated and for these reasons as well as many others, as many as 88% of MS sufferers in the United States are estimated to have tried out some or other complementary or alternative medicine for the condition.
Acupuncture
The ancient Chinese therapy that involves insertion of thin needles into specific points of the body is met with mixed reactions. While some report little or no improvement, other users report to having had an almost miraculous reduction of symptoms.
Since acupuncture is an immune related disorder, people find that their immune system gets regulated with this treatment. Some find that acupuncture used in conjunction with Chinese herbal medicine can work wonders.
Homeopathy
Though homeopathy and its working is one of the forms of healing most disparaged by allopathy doctors, there is a lot of anecdotal evidence to support the use of homeopathy for MS.
Numerous suffers have noted improvement in symptoms, lessening of lesions, enhanced mobility and fewer relapses with the help of homeopathy.
Nutritional therapy
From cutting out certain foods to including others, the inclusion of multivitamins, Omega 3 fatty acid supplements and other nutritional therapy is known to help in reducing symptoms and keeping the disease under better control.
Gluten-free diet
Some sufferers find that their symptoms of fatigue and tiredness can be greatly benefited from a gluten-free diet.
Ayurveda
Responses to this ancient healing tradition of India are mixed with some sufferers reporting good results and others reporting very slow response to treatment.
Chiropractic therapy
This is seen to work well when combined with nutritional therapy and amending the diet to cut out meat and so on.
Marijuana
This is obviously a controversial treatment for MS both because of legal issues as well as mood altering properties of marijuana. However controversial, MS sufferers do find that it helps relieve symptoms, particularly pain, spasms and spasticity.
Yoga and Meditation
Yoga and meditation can have obvious benefits for an MS patient, reducing mental stress as well as alleviating physical symptoms.
Aroma therapy
Although curative benefits of aromatherapy for MS may be disputed, MS patients do report to very significant lowering of stress and anxiety that MS can bring about.
Massage
Many sufferers find an improvement in their symptoms with the help of massage as well.
Chocolate
Though chocolate is something that medical practitioners often advise MS patients against, patients themselves find that just one of two squares a day of over 70% cocoa content chocolate can help.
