Treating The Effects Of Multiple Sclerosis With Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Formulas

 

Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Formulas are very effective in the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis (MS).  Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an  autoimmune disease.  A person's immune system attacks the myelin sheath that covers and protects  the nerves of the brain and spinal cord. A simple way of understanding the disease is this:  imagine the outer casing that holds and protects many electrical wires wears away leaving tears and holes that expose the internal wiring.  The wires inside the casing short circuit, burn, smoke, and malfunction due to exposure to environmental elements (your bodily fluids, etc).  The wearing down of the myelin sheath leads to injury and inflammation; consequently, electrical or nerve signals to and from the brain to different organs, muscles, nerves and other connective tissue are blocked.  The end result is debilitating - the patient can experience difficult vision, burning pain in the extremities, loss of muscle coordination and strength, loss of organ and other bodily functions, and a downward spiral of degenerating health.  Multiple sclerosis can affect any sex or age group but is common in ages 20 to 40 years of age.  Women are twice susceptible to MS as men.

Traditional Chinese Medicine looks at the patient as a whole in determining treatment for MS or any other condition.  All lifestyle and physical aspects of the patient are evaluated.  Tongue and pulse diagnoses offer much information about the patient's condition.  There are 18 pulse positions that are felt and evaluated; the condition of the tongue can determine heat, cold, organ dysfunction, build up of toxins and a plethora of other indicators pertinent to the individual case.  In evaluating the MS patient, the demyelization of the neural sheath is considered to be a heat condition; heat dries bodily fluids and builds toxins; this in turn, leads to organ and connective tissue malfunction.  Acupuncture and Chinese herbal formulas address these symptoms effectively and can help reduce or eliminate various symptoms of this autoimmune disease. 

Case Study:  A 62 year old post menopausal female presented with burning pain in both legs, travelling to lower legs and the soles of her feet.  The patient was unable to walk 2 city blocks without pain. The patient experienced nocturnal body heat and woke up every other hour in the evening in 'pools of sweat'.  The patient had  been diagnosed with MS 4 years prior to her visit to my office and had recently gone on disability because of her inability to walk and work.  Her quality of  life had suffered and had been suffering mild depression.  The patient's tongue was overall red with a very dry, thin coat (this denotes a heat condition and drying of internal bodily fluids.  Her pulses overall were thin, rapid, wiry and small.  I determined a diagnosis of Yin Deficiency as root cause and a secondary condition of Qi Stagnation.  In plain English, this means that the MS was caused by a heat condition (Yin Deficiency); the night sweats and neuropathies were being caused by the secondary condition (Qi Stagnation).  Because of the heat, the internal bodily fluids were drying, causing the normal flow of blood, lymph, fluids, red and white blood cells to reach the extremities and provide the necessary cellular nutrition for proper physical function.  The treatment strategy:  clear the heat, tonify the immune system, clear the stagnation and calm the mind (to address the depression).  Acupuncture treatment twice weekly for 4 weeks, with nutritional modifications ( no spicy foods, acidic foods, alcohol, sugar or dairy) and water therapy were additive to the protocol.  An herbal pill formula to address the nocturnal sweat and fluids was prescribed to be taken on a daily basis.

After 4 weeks of this treatment protocol, the patient reported she could walk more than half a mile, could swim for 20 minutes in the pool, and the burning pain had dissipated from a 9 of 10 on the pain scale to a 3 of  10.  The nocturnal sweats had disappeared and she was beginning to feel more like herself.  The protocol was modified to one treatment weekly for 8 weeks; yoga was suggested in addition to water therapy and the continued diet modifications.  After 8 weeks, the patient reported that she was pain free and had spoken with her employer - she was going back to work and felt wonderful.  This patient continues with treatment once monthly and continues to do yoga and swim; she can now dance and is living a productive and happy life once again.

Traditional Chinese Medicine cannot offer a cure for MS, but a good practitioner can help reduce or eliminate certain afflictions of the disease.  While results vary from case to case, this is one of the many pathologies that I treat on a daily basis.  Traditional  Chinese Medicine is over 2,000 years old for a reason.

I Like To Swim, I Like To Swim, I Like To Swim

When you learn how to swim, you are invariably taught the mantra to chant with every stroke into the water, 'I like to swim'.  As a novice swimmer who had less than 3 months to learn how to swim a mile for a  triathlon some years back, swallowing cold chlorine water, nearly drowning and struggling 3 days a week in the pool had me making my own mantra of 'I hate to swim, I hate to swim'.... Several triathlons and many miles later, I'm proud to say that yes, I CAN swim a mile.  I just don't like pools that are cold and filled with other people; it's like being in a community bathtub...ugh!

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Although I really hate to swim, I get into the pool and do laps.  I practice drills with and without a pullbuoy, use a kickboard and practice all the exercises I was taught when training for triathlons.  Swimming is good for you; it's non-impact on the joints; the cool water can aid in reducing inflammation of joints and you really will get a  good workout in a half hour.  Just remember your mantra....I LOVE to swim, I HATE to swim, I LOVE to swim.....it's just one of those relationships.....

Swimming is Good For You

Ok!  Everybody into the pool!!!  Swimming can be the gentler and kinder workout for your knees, but you can really kick butt and get a better butt while playing around in the water.  Every time you kick in the water, you are increasing your muscle strength, burning calories and increasing your overall flexibility.  The strokes and form of swimming enable you to lengthen your body to its max, thereby elongating your muscles and stretching your tight and shortened muscles.  The forgiveness of the anti-gravity feeling of the water gives you that 'feel good' and happiness of being a kid in the water.  Your lungs will get a great workout through rhythmic breathing and your heart will love you for the overall increase in blood circulation.  After several weeks of pretending you are a fish, you'll notice toner, firmer muscles and a 'lifeted' butt.  Swimming is one exercise that uses all the muscles groups, so you just can't go wrong.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Can't swim?  Shame on you!!!  You might have to save your own life one day just by knowing how to swim to safety.  Take this perspective and go take some swimming lessons.  If you know how to swim, check out your local community or health club pool and join a refresher class, a water polo class or some fun weekly group swim.  If you're a loner, just jump in and do your thing.  For the readers here in Manhattan:  the Reebok Club, Chelsea Piers and Asphalt Green all have wonderful facilities, multitudes of classes and lessons for all levels.  You'll feel great and look great at the end of the day and what better way to impress someone at the beach with that new butt!