49 - Complementary and alternative treatments in multiple sclerosis

Summary

Multiple sclerosis (MS) individuals who use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) generally do so because they experience improvement in their quality of life, and in various MS symptoms such as fatigue, spasticity, or pain. The different CAM therapies used commonly by individuals with MS are: mind-body therapies, dietary changes and supplement use that include low fat diet, essential fatty acids and anti-oxidants, ginseng, acupuncture, low-dose naltrexone and cannabis. Despite the widespread use of CAM therapies among MS patients, most of these therapies have not been evaluated in well-designed, randomized, controlled clinical trials, the lack of which is the main reason why most neurologists do not incorporate CAM therapies into their management of MS patients. Clearly there are certain therapies, such as anti-oxidants and essential fatty acids, which have a scientific rationale for use in MS and are also supported by preclinical or pilot clinical data.