Multiple Sclerosis

Does Rilassáre's alternative medicine replace traditional medicine?

No, alternative medicine serves as a complementary treatment alongside any medication the patient may be taking. It is not contraindicated in any case due to its safety and lack of adverse reactions or side effects. Alternative medicine helps strengthen your immune system and regulates your body's acidity for optimal functioning.

What is multiple sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system).

Symptoms of multiple sclerosis may include:

A medical diagnosis is required.

Multiple sclerosis causes many different symptoms, such as vision loss, pain, fatigue, and decreased coordination. Symptoms, severity, and duration can vary from person to person. Some individuals may not show symptoms for much of their lives, while others may have severe, chronic symptoms that never go away.

People may experience:

• • Tremor. During precise movements, hands or limbs.
• • Muscular. Difficulty walking, cramps, muscle weakness, spasms, inability to shift movement quickly, involuntary movements, stiff muscles, muscle paralysis, coordination problems, hyperactive reflexes, or clumsiness.
• • Whole body. Fatigue, heat intolerance, dizziness, poor balance, or vertigo.
• • Sensory. Tingling, taste abnormalities, bothersome tingling and burning, or reduced sense of touch.
• • Urinary. Urinary leakage, nighttime urination, constant urge to urinate, or urinary retention.
• • Visual. Vision loss, blurry vision, or double vision.
• • Sexual. Erectile dysfunction or sexual dysfunction.
• • Mood. Mood swings or anxiety.
• • Speech. Difficulty speaking or slurred speech.
• • Also common. Also common.

Causes of multiple sclerosis

MS affects women more than men. It is most commonly diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40, but it can occur at any age.

MS is caused by damage to the myelin sheath. This sheath is the protective covering around neurons. When the nerve covering is damaged, nerve impulses slow down or stop. Nerve damage is caused by inflammation, which occurs when the body's own immune cells attack the nervous system. This can happen anywhere in the brain, optic nerve, or spinal cord.

The exact cause of MS is unknown. The most common belief is that it's caused by a virus, a genetic defect, or both. Environmental factors may also play a role.

You are slightly more likely to develop this disease if you have a family history of MS or if you live in a part of the world where MS is more common.

Types of multiple sclerosis

Clinically Isolated Syndrome (CIS)

CIS is often the first episode of MS symptoms that a person experiences. It results from inflammation and damage to the myelin sheath. Doctors define the episode as CIS if it lasts at least one day. In some cases, a person may experience CIS without developing MS. To diagnose MS, the doctor will use an MRI to look for active lesions or evidence of past lesions in the brain.

In people who go on to be diagnosed with MS, early treatment of CIS can help delay the full onset of the condition.

Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS)

About 85% of people with MS have relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS). Symptoms often begin between ages 20 and 30. A person with RRMS will experience new or worsening symptoms during relapses. After each episode, there will be a prolonged period during which symptoms improve or disappear until the next relapse. However, in some cases, symptoms may become permanent and only slightly improve during remission.

New brain lesions often appear after a relapse but may also appear without noticeable symptoms. Symptom severity varies depending on the extent and location of the nerve damage. Remission periods may last from a week to many years. During remission, the disease shows no signs of progression.

Primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS)

PPMS is less common than RRMS and typically appears after age 40. People with PPMS experience a gradual worsening of symptoms over time. They typically do not have relapses or sudden symptom onset, but rather continuous progression without recovery or remission.

To diagnose PPMS, a person must experience worsening symptoms over the course of a year. The severity may vary. Due to the progressive nature of this form, some treatments effective for RRMS are less effective for PPMS.

Secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS)

After living with RRMS, the condition may progress to SPMS. In this phase, symptoms gradually worsen with no clear relapses or remission periods. For a diagnosis of SPMS, a person must experience worsening symptoms for more than six months without relapses.

SPMS differs from PPMS in that it becomes progressive after relapse-remission periods, while PPMS is progressive from the onset.

Diagnosis of multiple sclerosis

A neurological exam may show reduced nerve function in one or multiple areas of the body. This may include:

• • Abnormal reflexes.
• • Decreased ability to move a part of the body.
• • Abnormal or reduced sensitivity.
• • Other neurological function loss, such as vision issues.

An eye exam may show:

• • Abnormal pupil responses.
• • Changes in visual fields or eye movements.
• • Decreased visual acuity.
• • Issues with internal parts of the eye.
• • Rapid eye movements when moving the eyes.

Tests to diagnose MS include:

• • Blood tests to rule out other conditions similar to MS.
• • A spinal tap (lumbar puncture) to examine cerebrospinal fluid, including oligoclonal bands.
• • MRI scans of the brain, spine, or both to help diagnose and monitor MS.
• • Neurological function studies (evoked potentials, such as brainstem visual evoked response), used less frequently.

Treatments for multiple sclerosis

There is currently no cure for MS, but treatments can slow the disease. The goal is to halt progression, manage symptoms, and help maintain a normal quality of life.

Medications are often taken long term. These include:

• • Medications to slow the disease.
• • Steroids to reduce the severity of attacks.
• • Medications to control symptoms like muscle spasms, urinary issues, fatigue, or mood problems.

Medications are more effective for the relapsing-remitting form than for other MS types. Additional supportive therapies may include:

• • Physical, speech, and occupational therapy, and support groups.
• • Assistive devices such as wheelchairs, stair lifts, shower chairs, walkers, and grab bars.
• • An early exercise program.
• • A healthy lifestyle with good nutrition, adequate rest, and relaxation.
• • Avoiding fatigue, stress, extreme temperatures, and illness.
• • Dietary changes if there are swallowing difficulties.
• • Home modifications to prevent falls.
• • Social workers or counseling services for support and assistance.
• • Vitamin D or other supplements (consult your provider first).
• • Complementary and alternative methods like acupuncture or cannabis to help with muscle problems.
• • Spinal devices to reduce pain and leg stiffness.

Complications of multiple sclerosis

MS can lead to the following complications:

• • Depression.
• • Difficulty swallowing.
• • Difficulty thinking.
• • Decreased ability to care for oneself.
• • Need for a permanent catheter.
• • Osteoporosis or bone thinning.
• • Pressure ulcers.
• • Side effects from medications used to treat MS.
• • Urinary tract infections.

Prevention of multiple sclerosis

The onset of MS is unpredictable, but experts agree that maintaining adequate vitamin D levels and avoiding tobacco use are two effective ways to prevent multiple sclerosis and manage its progression.

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