Multiple sclerosis is a challenging disease that isn’t well understood. Like most diseases, it is a combination of factors that contribute to its manifestation. In the medical industry, MS is believed to be a breakdown in the nervous system as a result of environmental, genetic and immune factors. Practitioners from other specialties believe it is due to vertebral subluxation interfering with proper nerve and body communication, nutritional deficiencies, toxic exposures, alterations in the electrical/energetic system of the body and more.
If we take one factor, a big factor, like the immune system, we need to find out what went amiss. It is not logical that the immune system which is there to monitor and detect threats and initiate responses designed protect you, to keep you alive, would suddenly go rogue and attack you. There has to be more than that.
Some theorize that the immune system gets overwhelmed. Too much is challenging the immune system, for too long and from too many directions for the immune system to keep up with. Exhausted, and trying to minimize repeated infectious or cellular debris, it shuts down the system in order to control the damage, in order to take a load off. MS is akin to a frayed electrical cord. The fat, cholesterol and protein-dominant myelin sheath (like the plastic around a wire) erodes, leaving “wires” exposed, and impulses not directed cleanly in the right direction. Is it because the immune system attacked these nerves, these wires, and frayed them, or is there not enough good fat and cholesterol in the diet available to maintain a healthy myelin sheath?
There are several proteins which also make up the myelin sheath. Are there sufficient usable amino acids available in a form the body can use to repair such an important tissue? Half of the functional amino acids in the body are heat labile. If the only proteins you ever eat are cooked proteins, is it possible that some key amino acids are just not available for use?
Is it that the immune system attacked itself, or an environmental substance, continually irritating the nervous system, creating out of control inflammation is deteriorating the sheath? Inflammation is a huge element in MS. What are the other inflammatory things we are doing to cause this deterioration? Is it the foods we eat that are inflammatory? Is it our activities? Is it our stress? These are important questions that need to be investigated if we are ever to truly get this horrific disease under control.
In MS there are multiple symptoms depending on the location of damage. Where the damage is in the brain, or in the nerves, even damage or dysfunction of the immune system.
Acupuncture combined with nutritional therapy can help with several challenges: pain management, reducing fatigue, help with neurological symptoms such as spasticity and tremors, balance, mobility, and in improved general health.
If you are plagued with this health challenge, let acupuncture help the quality of your life.
Want to hear more from Dr. Carling? Check out our podcast. Search for VitalHealth4You on your favorite podcast listening app or go to vitalhealthcda.com/podcasts/
©2023 Holly A. Carling, O.M.D., L.Ac., Ph.D.
