Alternative treatments recommended by physicians:
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Suplements
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Vitamins
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Fatty acids
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Diets
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Replacing amalgam fillings with mercury
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Acupuncture
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Yoga and meditation
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Hyperbaric oxygen
Supplements: (will be updated)
Vitamins
Adequate dose of vitamins is recommended for all persons with MS, but there is no scientific evidence to prove that additional doses of vitamins or megavitamins, individual or in any combination would have a favorable effect on the disease course.
Fatty acids
Several clinical trials have shown that diet supplementation with polyunsaturated fatty acids (primul oil) and fatty acids in fish oil have some effect in slowing the disease progress in improving the severity of the flare, without affecting it's frequency.
Diets
By now there have not been found evidences to support that MS would be a consequence of an poor alimentation or nutrition deficiencies . Balanced diets that contain less fat and more protein are recommended for the general public and it is good to be a part of the strategy and disease management for people with MS. Many diets of commerce are expensive. They may negatively affect nutrition and may prove to be unsafe and dangerous to health without a doctor's supervision. Replacing amalgam fillings with mercury
The replacing amalgam fillings with mercury
A mercury-silver alloy is the result of unproven assumptions according to which MS could be a result of mercury poisoning coming from fillings leakage that affect the immune system. There is no conclusive evidence to the fact that replacement of amalgam fillings could be of any real use for MS. Mercury poisoning are rare and require a large exposure (which are consequences of activity at work). Important symptoms of mercury poisoning are neurological (eg tremor) since one of the major organs affected by mercury is the brain. The similarity between mercury poisoning and the symptoms of MS led to erroneous determination of links between mercury and MS. Tests claiming to measure the levels of mercury in amalgam is not considered worthy. Replacement of amalgam fillings is costly and stressful. It is worth mentioning that alternative fillings (acrylic) are not as durable and require a complicated application process. They shouldn't be replaced until they are no more good, and just than you can discuss the possible alternatives with your dentist. In many countries the practice of requesting benefits from the removal of amalgam fillings is seen as non ethic.
Acupuncture
There is no evidence to show that acupuncture had an effect on the conduct or management of disease symptoms. However acupuncture can serve as a tool for removing the pain and muscle spasms.
Yoga and meditation
Exercise and relaxation can be a valuable and pleasant treatment for people with MS. Yoga and meditation can positively influence life of people with MS, improving their social and physical functions. There are many organizations that have special courses for people with physical disabilities.
Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO)
The practice of breathing under pressure oxygen in special rooms with the hope of halting the MS and improving the symptoms became popular in the '80s. Individual tests made in USA, UK, Canada and the Netherlands have shown that HBO has no effect on any parameter of disease evolution. These conclusions about treatment were taken from the Therapeutic Claims in Multiple Sclerosis , by William Sibley MD, fourth edition, the publisher of the International Federation of Societies for Multiple Sclerosis, 1996.
