What is Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic progressive autoimmune disease, which has affected approximately 450.000 Europeans and 2.5 million people in total, worldwide. It is one of the most common causes of non-traumatic neurological disability among young and middle aged people.

Multiple Sclerosis involves the body’s immune system, affecting a vital structural component of the nerve cells of the brain and the spinal cord. The target of this chronic degenerative illness is myelin which normally surrounds and protects the nerve fibers. These, in turn, are the structural and functional units of the nervous system with the aim of improving the efficiency of the transmission of the stimuli between the brain and the extremities. In Multiple Sclerosis appear clusters of demyelination, which means that myelin along with the neurons is damaged, and as a result the message transmission that comes from the brain to the body and in reverse, is disrupted. The lesions that remain after each outbreak of the disease accumulate and cause permanent disability.

Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis

The symptoms of the disease differ depending on the anatomical area of occurrence, and as a result, the corresponding area of the central nervous system (CNS) is being affected.

Some symptoms are more common to many patients, for example:

• Muscle spasms, movement difficulties, lack of coordination, loss of balance and instability.
• Eye problems: Diplopia, decreased vision, uncontrolled eye movements.
• In the intestine and bladder: Urinary infections, frequent urination, constipation and diarrhea.
• Numbness or pain in various parts of the body.
• Speech: Poor articulation and catatonic way of speaking, with difficulty in chewing/swallowing.
• Brain disorders: Depression, dizziness, hearing loss, loss of libido.

All the above symptoms are evaluated as unique if their duration exceeds 24 hours.

What can Medical Acupuncture offer

Acupuncture sessions are not considered as a cure to the patient, but intend to relieve the symptoms and delay the progression of the disease.

Medical Acupuncture eliminates the sense of gravity and the sense of numbness and tingling on hands and feet, making it easier for the patient to walk with more comfort.

Like every treatment, the sooner the sessions begin, the better the results are. There are cases that the symptoms disappear completely and the progression of the disease is suspended.

Initially, the treatment is performed two to three times a week. As sessions progress, this is limited to once a week and later once every two weeks. There is no intervention from our Doctor-acupuncturist in any medication the patient receives from his treating physician.

The action of Acupuncture seems to increase the pain tolerance limit, in a way that acupuncture treatments can be used as well as for other disorders, such as trigeminal neuralgia, muscle pain and menstruation, regardless of whether they are associated with Multiple Sclerosis.