Multiple Sclerosis or MS is a progressive and chronic ailment that affects the protective covering around the nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain. Many symptoms act as an indicator of this problem like extraordinary fatigue, blurred vision, numbness, muscular coordination problems, speech impairment, etc.
Treatment for MS
While MS has no concrete cure, the treatments usually focus on prompt recovery from the MS attacks. Methods like corticosteroids, plasma exchange or plasmapheresis can decrease the speed of progression of this disease noticeably. Besides, the FDA approved Orelizumab (Ocrevus) is a widely preferred disease-modifying therapy (DMT) in this regard. In addition to all these treatments, acupuncture could well prove to be an efficacious method in controlling numerous MS symptoms and slow down the progression of MS.
How does Acupuncture help MS?
An expert can use the Acupuncture technique the better way in order to reduce the symptoms of MS and help you get the much coveted relied from intense discomfort. The following acupuncture points have been using to help balance the immune function, so it will not produce the antibodies to attack the nervous system.
- Gall Bladder (GB-34, GB-14 and GB- 15) Pressure Points, respectively.
- Governing Vessel (GV-6) Pressure Point
- Large Intestine (LI-11) Pressure Point
What is the issue in taking Acupuncture if you have MS?
The immune system attacks myelin, the wrapper around the nerve fibers, causing the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis to occur. Myelin is the insulation for axons or the nerve fibers. As per common belief, the hyperactive immune cells attack the axons. Due to the destroyed and damaged myelin and axons, nerve communication becomes a problem. Hence, a variety of symptoms may exist depending on the nerve pathways affected. Symptoms like muscle weakness, blurry vision, tingling, numbness, etc. are common in this regard.
Choosing the right acupuncture points to balance the immune function is critical to slow down the progression of MS. The experienced acupuncturist will choose the points to clear the internal heat, so the immune system will not be hyperactive to attack your own tissues. The imbalances of the immune function can be related with imbalance of nervous system and hormones. The unhealthy digestive system can also contribute to the imbalance of the immune function. That is why we use acupuncture to relax our sympathetic nervous system and improve our digestion so MS patients can sleep deeper and digest better.
Diet for MS Patients:
- Avoid alcohol
- Avoid spicy food
- Avoid too much salt and sugar
- Avoid all nuts and seeds
- A lot of raw vegetables juice, especially kale.