| Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple Sclerosis is recognised as a “Wei Syndrome” in Chinese
Medicine, a disease category that goes back many hundreds of years. Certain
acupuncture points and herbs have long been demonstrated to have a positive
therapeutic effect in treating this disease category.
Chinese medicine classifies progression of the disease into four distinct
stages. In Stage One the symptoms are mild, but by Stage Four symptoms
have become severe. Patients can jump between stages, and do not necessarily
have to progress through each one.
The aim of the treatment is to hold patients at their current stage,
or even to help them progress to the stage above where symptoms are milder.
We recognise that every person is different, and that consequently the
progression of M.S. will vary considerably between people. The beauty
of Chinese Medicine is that it can be tailored to suit the exact needs
of the individual.
For each stage there is a certain combination of acupuncture points,
and a certain herbal formula, which research has shown to be most effective
for that stage. On top of the basic formula, it is possible to add key
herbal ingredients that can help with specific symptoms*. The Chinese
Medical classification of M.S. is as follows:
Stage One – Treatment Aim: Remission/ Maintenance
Symptoms:
Low energy
Damp and phlegm
Stage Two – Treatment Aim: Clear the “Channels”**
Symptoms:
Numbness
Heaviness
Tingling / pain in limbs
Dizziness
Blurred vision
Stage Three - Treatment Aim: Strengthen “Digestive Qi”
and nourish the Blood
Symptoms:
Tremors
Spasms
Cramps
Rigidity
Blurred/ impaired vision
Stage Four – Treatment Aim: Strengthen the Kidneys
Symptoms:
All the above symptoms with severity
Paralysis
Incontinence
* Additional symptoms which can be specifically addressed by herbs:
a. Severe numbness/ tingling
b. Severe spasms
c. Constipation
d. Purple feet
** The “channels” refers to the “meridians”. These
are pathways that carry “Qi”, or “Life Force”
to every cell in the body.
The following article has been copied with permission from Aaaom.org
Chinese Medicine for Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, auto-immune disease that destroys
the myelin sheath around nerve cells, primarily attacking cells of the
brain and spinal cord. Statistics indicate that this debilitating disease
is on the rise, but it is possible that the higher numbers reflect an
increased ability to diagnose MS, rather than an actual higher disease
rate.
Although more cases of MS are being diagnosed, early signs such as double
vision, fatigue and muscle weakness are vague, and could be symptoms of
a number of diseases. Unfortunately, even when MS is diagnosed, there
is no cure for it. A number of drugs are being used to control or minimize
symptoms, but most are not consistently effective. While conventional
Western medicine continues to search for ways to diagnose and treat MS,
Chinese medicine can be extremely useful as an alternative method for
managing symptoms. In my experience, traditional Chinese medicine can
effectively reduce flare-ups, reduce disease progression, and improve
quality of life for MS sufferers.
Scientists generally see MS as an auto-immune process, but the triggering
mechanisms are unclear. Since MS tends to run in families, it seems there
is either a genetic tendency to develop the disease, or a genetic predisposition
to be susceptible to the triggering mechanisms that result in the development
of MS. People in northern latitudes of Europe and North America are more
often affected than those in southern areas, and the disease is almost
unheard of in the tropics. Multiple sclerosis is twice as common in women
as men, and it has been suggested that hormonal factors predispose women
to develop MS.
In this article I present a few of the cases I have seen in my clinic,
and discuss the Chinese medicine approach to these cases. My belief that
acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are effective modalities to control
the progress and reduce the discomfort of MS is based on the positive
results I have experienced with the thirty-plus cases I have seen in recent
years.
Stephanie’s progressively worsening MS started eight years ago.
The initial numbness and weakness of her arms developed into an inability
to type letters on a computer keyboard. Her eyes were affected, making
the computer keys look as if they were moving around constantly. She had
some trouble pronouncing words clearly, and sometimes wrote strange symbols
when she meant to write letters or numbers. She couldn’t concentrate
on more than one thing at a time, and became extremely agitated if her
train of thought was interrupted. Fortunately, Stephanie had no pain,
but she frequently felt chest congestion and heaviness of the body. Her
doctor prescribed the drugs ACTH and Cyclospasmol to control her symptoms,
but they were only effective for a short while.
When Stephanie came to me, I evaluated her by taking her history and
then looking at her tongue and checking her pulse. Tongue and pulse signs
are very important diagnostic tools in Chinese medicine. Her pulse was
slippery and rapid, and her tongue was red with a yellow-slimy coating.
In traditional Chinese medicine, these signs were classified as a pattern
of Phlegm/Dampness Blocking the Meridians. Chinese herbs that open the
meridians and counteract damp conditions are commonly used for this pattern.
After a course of acupuncture treatments with Chinese herbs Stephanie
noticed that she types better, and her coordination is improved. She feels
that she handles her job better, now, and is happy that she can continue
to work.
Steven is a truck driver from northern Minnesota. Six years ago, he began
to experience numbness in his arms, hand and leg weakness, and muscle
spasms. Loss of coordination and balance, dizziness and fatigue followed.
He had localized pain in his left shoulder blade that was sharp and fixed.
He was diagnosed with progressive multiple sclerosis. His regular physician
prescribed a variety of medications such as oral corticosteroids and interferon,
and also suggested that he see an acupuncturist for his pain. When I looked
at his tongue, it was purple. In traditional Chinese medicine, his case
falls into the category of Blood Stasis in the Meridians. I prescribed
a Chinese herbal formula, StagnationEASE (Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang), and began
giving him two acupuncture treatments per week. After a few weeks of treatments,
he no longer woke up at night with muscle spasms and pain. Because he
can rest well and sleep through the night, Steven feels that he has benefited
from Chinese medicine.
Elizabeth had severe and constant numbness on the right side of her body,
and difficulties with sight and hearing on that side. She was frustrated
by her inability to do daily life tasks, and found it difficult to stand
for any period of time or to walk. She came to my clinic in a wheelchair,
complaining of leg pain, ankle and back pain. She also experienced slurred
speech, blurred and diminished vision, dizziness, ear ringing, forgetfulness,
and confusion. She had taken amitriptyline and lorazepam for one year,
then switched to Copaxone with no relief of symptoms. When she came to
my clinic, her tongue was red and her pulse was thin and rapid. This is
a very typical pattern of Kidney/Liver Deficiency in traditional Chinese
medicine, and the treatment goal is to nourish her Kidneys and Liver with
acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. A time-tested formula, Kidney
Liver Tonic (Qi Ju Di Huang Wan), was suggested to her for long-term use.
One day, she came to my clinic and told me, "I can walk all the way
down the hallway in my apartment by myself now, and I couldn’t do
that before."
|
