Thursday March 27 2014 11:00 AM

Diagnosed with MS in 1988, I was told that there was no cause, no treatment and no cure and to add to my emotional turmoil there was no definitive diagnosis either. That didn’t leave a lot of hope for the future but my mother’s brother, who also had MS, helped me through the earlier days, weeks and months. 

Now, there are a lot of non-medical treatments available but back in the 80’s there were very few treatments like ‘Acupuncture’ and ‘Reiki’. The thought at that time, was that these treatments were NOT treatments for serious illnesses, but ways for practitioners to make money from sufferers! Yoga was for ‘hippies’ and diet was only for losing weight.

Yes, things have changed immensely over the last number of years, largely because of the internet which allows for discussion between likeminded individuals. As there is still no cure for MS but there are treatments, diagnostics have been perfected and non-medical treatments have achieved a veneer of respectability. Please be wary of any information gleaned from unapproved sources.

One of the problems with MS is that symptoms are so diverse that a cure for one person is not necessarily a cure for the next person. What works for me may not work for you and on it goes… If you are going to try a non-medical treatment research it well in advance. Take notes of your symptoms for a period of time before you start and continue with those notes. I keep a daily log of what I eat, drink and what exercises I do. This enables me to track adverse reactions and helps me pinpoint the cause. Although, let me add that one adverse reaction is not enough to change my course of action. Most non-medical treatments will take time to take effect, so don’t be disheartened when improvements don’t surface immediately. If one doesn’t work remember that there are other alternatives? 

I really believe that diet has a huge part to play and also vitamins and other dietary supplements. If you search the web you will find loads on diets but beware that a lot of stuff on the web is not proven so don’t be afraid to ask questions on the various online communities. Be sceptical but not cynical. Dr Terry Wahls and Professor George Jelinek have a lot of stuff on-line. I remember I tried a particular diet about 15 years ago and I lost weight but it made no difference to my MS!

I like yoga and I find it beneficial. I find that a lot of the poses and positions not to mention balancing on one leg with my hands extended over my head are quite difficult so I concentrate on Mudras. These are hand positions and breathing which you can do sitting down. Eric Small has a book on 'Yoga & Multiple Sclerosis' and Dermot O’Connor has a book titled ‘The Healing Code’ which I found interesting. Dermot advocates a combination of diet and Medical Chi Kung,  this worked for him but not for me!

I tried acupuncture and found it beneficial, however the on-going expense was prohibitive at the time and I wasn’t certain that financial outlay was justified. 

I also tried Inclined Bed Therapy (IBT). This involved raising the head of the bed about 15 inches off the floor. I felt it was good for a few nights (placebo effect) but useless for me after that. It was also very inconvenient. This information is still on the 'This is MS' website if you want to check it out!

Do not let yourself be led by newspaper articles. The information is not necessarily current and these articles are designed to increase circulation not to improve the lives of people with serious illnesses. A case in point is that Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency (CCSVI) had been discredited a number of years before the newspapers heard about it. But do your own research on CCSVI and decide if that is something that might work for you.

Whatever alternative you are tempted to try, set yourself a realistic timeframe when results should become apparent. These treatments are marathons not sprints. Give it 100% commitment and don’t be afraid to ask for help from friends, family or online!

Thanks for reading

Declan

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