Multiple sclerosis

The nerves of the central nervous system are sheathed in myelin, a substance that assists in nerve function. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system that inflames the myelin and causes plaques or lesions to appear. The brain, spinal cord and optic nerves can be affected.

The principle aims of drug therapy for MS are to shorten the duration of relapses or attacks, ease specific symptoms and slow the progression of disease by reducing the rate of relapses. The types of drugs used in treatment depend on a number of factors, including the form of MS a person has.

There is a range of complementary therapies that can work alongside a person’s medical treatment by helping to ease symptoms and strengthen the body and mind. Because of chiropractic’s role in dealing with the nervous system it should be an essential part of your health care team when dealing with Multiple Sclerosis. Other therapies that we recommend include massage therapy, yoga, meditation, and dietary changes. There have been a few studies involving chiropractic and multiple sclerosis…

Chiropractic Management of Musculoskeletal Pain in the Multiple Sclerosis Patient

Clinical Chiropractic 2005 (Jun); 8 (2): 57–65

Chiropractic care has been successfully integrated into a chronic care facility which is affiliated with a private university medical school. Chiropractic has been utilized in this setting for pain management of MS patients suffering from chronic pain syndromes. Preliminary findings from this clinic suggest that chiropractic may represent one treatment alternative for chronic pain in MS patients in a long-term care facility. Further studies will be needed to definitively determine the efficacy of chiropractic for the management of chronic pain in the MS patient.

Eighty-One Patients with Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease Undergoing Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care to Correct Vertebral Subluxation: A Retrospective Analysis

J Vertebral Subluxation Research 2004 (Aug): 1–9

A causal link between trauma-induced upper cervical injury and disease onset for both MS and PD appears to exist. Correcting the injury to the upper cervical spine through the use of IUCCA protocol may arrest and reverse the progression of both MS and PD. Further study in a controlled, experimental environment with a larger sample size is recommended.

Use of Unconventional Therapies by Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis

Clin Rehabil 2003 (Mar); 17 (2): 181–191

More than half of the responding sample (57.1%) had used at least one CAM modality. The longer that people had MS and the less satisfied they were with conventional health care the more likely they were to use CAM therapies. The most common reasons for using CAMs were the desire to use holistic health care (i.e., treatments that recognized the interrelatedness of mind, body and spirit) and dissatisfaction with conventional medicine. Ingested herbs were the most frequently used CAM modalities (26.6%), followed by chiropractic manipulation (25.5%), massage (23.3%) and acupuncture (19.9%).

Clinical Presentation of a Patient with Multiple Sclerosis and Response to Manual Chiropractic Adjustive Therapies

J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1993 (Nov-Dec); 16 (9): 595–600

Manual adjustive therapies appear to be responsible for the dramatic symptomatic relief provided for a patient diagnosed with MS. The relative risk-to-benefit ratio suggests that this approach may be appropriate as an alternative symptom management approach for MS patients, and future research efforts can and should direct the comprehensive management approach to the treatment of this disorder.

Upper Cervical Chiropractic Management of a Multiple Sclerosis Patient: A Case Report

Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research 2001; 4 (2): 22–30

After four months of upper cervical chiropractic care, all Multiple Sclerosis (MS) symptoms were absent. A follow-up MRI showed no new lesions as well as a reduction in intensity of the original lesions. After a year passed in which the patient remained asymptomatic, another follow-up MRI was performed. Once again, the MRI showed no new lesions and a continued reduction in intensity of the original lesions. Two years after upper cervical chiropractic care began, all MS symptoms remained absent.

Upper Cervical Protocol For Five Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Todays Chiropractic 2000 (Nov); 29 (6) ~ FULL TEXT

All five patients recalled experiencing head or neck trauma(s) prior to the onset of multiple sclerosis symptoms. In all five cases, evidence of upper cervical injury was found using paraspinal digital infrared imaging and upper cervical radiographs. According to the results of each of the five patients discussed in this report, it seems correction of the upper cervical injury not only stopped but also reversed the pathological processes involved in MS. However, few conclusions can be drawn from a small number of cases. Therefore, further research is recommended to study the link between trauma, the upper cervical spine and neurological disease.