People who have Multiple Sclerosis (MS) have exposed nerve fibres in the brain and spinal cord due to the breaking down of the protective covering of nerves. In people with MS, the immune system attacks the protective sheath or myelin that covers the nerve fibres.
Without an intact protective sheath, the nerve fibres can become damaged. Damaged nerves can cause interruptions in communication between the brain and the rest of the body. Communication interruptions may have disastrous effects, especially if the body is trying to signal the brain to do something important, like speak or swallow.
This article provides useful information about Multiple Sclerosis treatments, causes and symptoms to help keep you in the know for your general wellbeing and wellness journey.
Other conditions are classified by various stages, but Multiple Sclerosis has various types. Each type depends on the progression of the MS symptoms and the frequency of MS relapses. Here are the main types of Multiple Sclerosis.
This is when there are early symptoms of MS that suggest you may have the disease, but there are other elements disqualifying your symptoms from being fully diagnosed as Multiple Sclerosis. Patients often display symptoms associated with myelin damage and inflammation.
Relapsing-remitting Multiple Sclerosis is a common type of relapsing form seen in most patients with MS. Patients experience flare-ups or periods of new or worsening symptoms over a few days or weeks. Typically, these relapses improve symptoms either partially or fully, and symptoms may stabilise or disappear for months or even years.
Secondary progressive Multiple Sclerosis is characterised by the disease progression when symptoms gradually worsen. With SPMS, periods of relapse or remission are not as likely to occur. Common symptoms with this type of MS are issues with mobility and trouble walking.
Primary progressive Multiple Sclerosis starts off with a gradual onset of symptoms that progress steadily without any relapse. With primary progressive form, the symptoms get worse as the disease progresses.
Radiologically isolated syndrome occurs when individuals have lesions in their brain or spinal cord that appear on an MRI. The lesions may appear on the MRI, but the patient may not display any MS symptoms.
There are also rare types that can occur when developing MS, such as:
These types of Multiple Sclerosis all have common symptoms. There is no cure for Multiple Sclerosis as of yet — symptom management should be at the forefront of MS treatment suggestions.
While the direct cause of Multiple Sclerosis is unknown, it is believed to be caused by a combination or interaction of certain elements. This chronic illness is thought to be caused when a specific combination of genes interacts with a certain trigger.
Multiple Sclerosis can occur on account of:
Researchers believe that any of these factors may have a bad interaction with each other and trigger Multiple Sclerosis.
A limited number of patients with MS have mild symptoms and little restrictions. In this case, they won’t need aggressive treatment. However, because the disease affects the brain and nervous system, the symptoms can become life-threatening.
Here is a list of some symptoms:
In order to deal with the varying symptoms and treat MS, you’ll need the support of multiple healthcare professionals to cover various fields, including occupational therapy, physical therapy, neurology and more.
There are various other factors that may predispose certain individuals to developing Multiple Sclerosis. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society has conducted research that suggests any one of the following factors could also lead to patients developing MS:
There are various treatment options available to treat some symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis. The type of treatment will depend on which symptoms you want to address. Holon gives clients access to a range of alternative therapies to ease symptoms.
Hyperbaric oxygen chamber treatments have emerged as an alternative treatment for Multiple Sclerosis. During a hyperbaric oxygen chamber session, you’re breathing pure oxygen and experiencing pressure more than three times the normal air pressure outside the chamber.
Hyperbaric sessions may increase your white blood cell count, and an increase in white blood cells helps your body fight off infections. The enhanced oxygenation of your tissues may also help alleviate tissue swelling.
Yoga is an ancient practice long believed to be an effective form and part of complementary treatments that patients consider as alternatives to modern medicine. The combination of the physical therapy from yoga movements and control gained through regulatory responses via breathwork techniques may provide positive effects to those with MS.
As with all treatment options, the focus of our mind-body sessions is to identify your pain points and focus on symptom management. Studies show that yoga and breathwork may help reduce bladder problems, lower stress levels, reduce fatigue and decrease pain.
Ice bath therapy is an effective way to treat the physical symptoms associated with MS. Ice baths have analgesic effects, which help reduce pain and inflammation in joints and muscles. You can submerge your entire body or just the affected limb/area for the best results.
As alternative medicines, ice baths offer a range of benefits for physical and mental symptom management. Cold plunges can increase dopamine levels to improve mood, trigger norepinephrine release to regulate inflammatory responses and help slow down cellular damage.
Vielight devices may be considered one of the latest treatments for Multiple Sclerosis as they use photobiomodulation therapy to increase brain function. The Vielight treatment device is designed to offer treatment transcranially and intranasally by emitting red light energy.
Light therapies work by stimulating mitochondrial energy production and forming new and stronger neural electrical signals with near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths. NIR treatment improves blood flow to the brain, which increases the oxygen and nutrient levels in your brain cells. Red light therapies may help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the brain — preserving brain health and protecting neurons from damage.
Holon is a cutting-edge wellness centre in Glasgow, offering clients alternative therapies grounded in science. Our aim is to help clients reach their health goals by taking a holistic approach to healing and wellness.
Beyond Multiple Sclerosis treatments, we provide clients with a comprehensive set of services and advanced treatments to address a range of chronic symptoms. We also aim to help patients improve athletic performance and bolster overall wellness.
In addition to the offerings mentioned above, we also offer gold-standard blood tests, comprehensive functional medicine consultations in the form of online sessions and health coaching from our Oxford and Harvard-educated founder.
Want to explore more? Start your journey today.
