Multiple Sclerosis as seen from an Eastern viewpoint

Multiple sclerosis, MS, affects over 400,000 people in North America. MS signs typical appear between the ages of 20 and 40 with average onset at about age 30. We know from western medicine that MS is the destruction of the myelin sheaths around the spinal cord, brain and optic nerves. The lesions may be in different areas of the spine and or brain, thereby giving different symptoms dependant upon location. The first signs are often either blurred vision, or weakness of a leg. In Chinese medicine MS is viewed as a form of atrophy syndrome.

While cause and effect are often blurred in Eastern thought, there are associated factors to consider.

1. External dampness; in the early stages dampness invades the channels (meridians) of the legs and creeps its way up the body. Dampness as in nature can be viewed as wet, heavy, and settling in low areas, i.e. the feeling of heaviness, numbness and tingling in the legs accompanied by fatigue. Aggravating factors, therefore, are anything that engenders dampness, such as living in a damp environment. This fits with the western view that increased sun exposure earlier in life can be helpful.

2. Diet; as a continuum from external dampness we should consider the effect of our diet and how it can engender internal dampness. Too much greasy-fried foods, dairy foods such as cheese, milk and butter impair digestion and lead to conditions of internal damp. Thus aggravating the feeling of heaviness in the legs and fatigue.

3. Shock/Trauma; it has been my experience in treating MS patients that many have suffered some form of emotional or physical shock/trauma. It is my belief that persons with MS may have some pre-disposed genetic condition that is triggered by this event. In Chinese medicine shock depletes heart and spleen qi, (please keep in mind, this the Chinese heart and spleen). The result is deprived nourishment of the muscles and poor circulation of qi and blood. Thus we have weakness of the legs, dizziness and vertigo.

MS tends to progress in the following manner:

Early stage: Dampness - heaviness of legs, dizziness, numbness, tingling
Middle stage: Liver / Kidney deficiency - blurred vision, weakness of legs, dizziness, vertigo, urinary issues
Liver Yang rising - stiffness of legs, vertigo, vomiting
Late stage: Liver Wind - tremor, spasms, paraplegia

(Again, keep in mind this is the Chinese liver and kidney)

It is unfortunate that in this country many people do not seek out forms of treatment such as acupuncture until they have progressed into the middle or late stages. If caught in the early stages, with regular treatment, acupuncture may help keep the disease from progressing for an undetermined amount of time.

In my personal experience I have still seen significant changes in quality of life for those who are already in the middle stages. One patient I treated was a 37-year-old female that was in the middle stage. Her symptoms were weakness of the legs, dropped foot, blurred vision, foggy mind, dizziness, vertigo, and both urinary and bowel issues. She was taking the typical western treatments such as Avonex along with a host of other medicines to treat each of her individual symptoms. While these therapies are in important part of her regimen, acupuncture helped her reduce the drug therapy and at the same time many of the symptoms improved. In the morning when she tried to get up she suffered from positional dizziness and it took up to 15 minutes for the room to settle before she could get out of bed. Due to the foot drop she would walk "like a crab" always turning to one direction. At night she wished she could read before going to bed, but due to the foggy mind and blurring vision she could only read for about 10 minutes at a time. After a few months of treatment she was getting up from bed in only a couple of minutes, walking straight and reading for up to an hour at a time.

Every person is unique, and each will have differing results, however it is very unusual not to get some benefits from regular treatment from a qualified practitioner.