Researchers Analyse the Use of Alternative Treatments among MS Patients
For the first time, researchers from the University of Copenhagen analysed the use of alternative therapies in multiple sclerosis (MS) which will provide helpful insights to patients. The study was published in the Scandinavian Journal of Public Health and Autoimmune Diseases.
"What we see is that patients do not usually use alternative treatments for treating symptoms, but as a preventative and strengthening element," says Lasse Skovgaard, the lead researcher and an industrial PhD candidate from the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences and the Danish Multiple Sclerosis Society. The study involved 3,800 people in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland who have multiple sclerosis.
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease that affects the nervous system, including the spinal cord. It occurs when the fatty myelin sheaths surrounding the axons of the brain and the spinal cord are damaged, which results to varying complications including loss of sight and mobility. According to the researchers, Denmark has the highest incidence of MS worldwide, affecting approximately 12,500 individuals. They also reported that the number of people with multiple sclerosis is increasing, which poses considerable challenges in the aspects of treatment, prevention and rehabilitation. It is to be noted that until now, there has been no cure developed for MS yet.
Natural Treatments for MS
Because multiple sclerosis is hard to treat, many patients turn to alternative medicine to alleviate symptoms and prevent more severe complications. The researchers found that people with chronic MS often make use of natural treatments to manage their condition, such as acupuncture, herbal medicine and dietary supplements.
Critics of alternative treatment claim that it becomes more appealing to naïve people looking for miraculous cure. But the research shows that the use of natural remedies is more common among people with higher educational background, including those who have higher income. Furthermore, natural therapies are more prevalent among the younger women with MS.
According to a study by the Danish National Institute of Public Health in 2010, the use of alternative medicine has been growing steadily over the past 15 years. In the current study, more than half of patients with MS say they either combine alternative and conventional treatment, or only alternative therapy. Skovgaard hopes that the new information will improve the public understanding of how chronically ill people use alternative therapies along with conventional treatment.
Other than the treatments mentioned in the study, other natural therapies that are commonly used by MS patients are massage and yoga.
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