MS Quackery - Multiple Sclerosis Blog

I was attending a health fair not that long ago and got into a discussion with an MD about multiple sclerosis. He asked to look at my hands, to which I obliged. After a thorough exam of my finger tips (which took less than 10 seconds) he announced to me that he could have told me I had MS just by looking at my finger nails. ?I wrote a paper about this years ago?, your man said to me.

While he went on about the ridges in my nails being sign of something or other and that was caused by? Okay; I?ll admit that I tuned him out after just a short time. My fingernails are showing that I have MS?

It brought the topic of crazy-arsed theories about MS to my mind and I thought it might be in interesting topic for a blog. With a little research I was able to find several theories, treatments and curative measure people have bought and sold over the decades. Some of them are harmless, some harmful.

This is by no means a complete list. And, I suppose the title I?ve given this post will convey my opinion of the tactics. This is not news reporting; it?s an opinion blog. Please take it as that.

? Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy has been offered to me by more than a few people. A housekeeper we once had absolutely Raved about what wonders the treatment had for children with Autism and friends of hers with MS. She was looking into buying a chamber to offer treatments for people with MS.

I passed.

While one small study back in the 1980s showed some promise, the positive results were never repeated and the FDA even issued a warning letter about the therapy.

? Bee Sting (aka Bee Venom Therapy). 1) Take a bee in a pair of tweezers 2) hold it near a particular part of your body 3) let the bee sting you 4) pick up another bee 5) repeat 6) see step 5

Touted as a treatment for arthritis over a century ago, Bee Venom Therapy started to see an emergence in the MS world in the 1970s. Studies from all over the world looked at both animal and human models of MS and found no improvement in symptoms, progression, MRI activity or relapse rate. In the animal model, in fact, the treatment showed the possibility of worsening the condition.

? Dental Filling Removal. Mercury amalgam filling removal hit its stride not long after a discovery on the other side of the world. A particular bay area in SE Asia showed a massive spike in MS-like symptoms several years after WWII. It was found that the area?s drinking water had been contaminated with mercury during the war.

While mercury, lead and other heavy metals do cause neurological symptoms which can look much like MS, the pathology of how these symptoms come on is quite different. Having fillings removed actually exposes patients to more chance of heavy metal exposure than leaving the fillings stay.

? Alkaline Water Treatment. There is a new craze in the offing to neutralize the acid affects within our bodies. I?ve been hearing much about balancing with alkaline water. You may have seen testimonials on the internet from people who say they?ve cured themselves of multiple sclerosis by drinking these products.

They?re also very willing to sell you this water (or a system to attach to your home tap). This treatment is also stated to arrest cancers, arthritis, and many other progressive diseases. Just ask your local multi-level marketing rep for details?

I?m pretty sure that you hear things (or have heard them in the past) which are touted as cure-alls and MS just happens to be one of the ills to be cured by new and improved Product-X. Sometimes I feel like the pharmaceuticals in the pipeline can come across that way too.

The fact of the matter is; there is not yet a cure for MS. Everyone with MS should find a treatment course which is right for them. I go by a paraphrase of Thomas Jefferson?s when it comes to my treatments, ?If it does not break my arm nor pick my pocket; what is it to me?? The problem, the above mentioned (and many unmentioned here) treatments can cause harm and do cost money.

I?d be interested to read of some other ?MS Quackery? that you may have heard about (or likely told about by some well-meaning friend).

Wishing you and your family the best of health.

Cheers

Trevis

Don?t forget that you can also follow me via our Life With MS Facebook page, on Twitter, and our new group on MS Connection.org. Check out our bi-monthly blog for the UK and look for our Very Special new monthly blog for the National MS Society.

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