Facts on Multiple Sclerosis Treatments

1. Inject Your Medication

Injectable therapies, one form of multiple sclerosis treatment, include subcutaneous and intramuscular injections. With subcutaneous injections, you penetrate the skin with a short needle, and the drug enters the body just below the skin. With intramuscular injections, you use a longer needle to deliver the medication into the muscle tissue of the upper arm or thigh. Subcutaneous injections require three or more injections per week and use interferon beta-1a like Rebif, interferon beta-1b like Betaseron or glatiramer acetate such as Copaxone. Intramuscular injections last longer and use interferon beta-1a like Aronex once per week.

2. Pump Treatment Into Your Bloodstream

With infusion treatment, a doctor or nurse places an IV into a vein, which allows medication to enter your bloodstream. The schedule for infusion treatment varies depending on the MS symptoms present and your body's response to the treatment. Most infusion treatments occur at a facility designed to administer the treatment. If you don't have transportation to and from treatment, your ability to use infusion treatment is hindered. Like all medications, infusion treatment produces side effects, which usually manifest within 2 hours of treatment.

3. Antibodies Neutralize Medication

Has your medication seemed to lose its effect? Within 12 to 18 months, you may notice that the medication no longer seems to work as well at treating your symptoms. The body naturally produces antibodies to fight foreign substances in the body. Unfortunately, the body considers many medications to be threats to the body and produces antibodies to halt the medication. If neutralizing antibodies occur in your body, your MS symptoms may relapse. The antibodies may also hinder other treatments from working as well.

4. Toss Processed Foods

Do you think a home-cooked meal is making a box of macaroni and cheese? If so, you could benefit from changing your diet. Studies show continual improvement in MS patients who choose a diet of raw foods like fruits and vegetables and unprocessed foods like whole grains or honey. If that sounds too drastic, consider eliminating foods like coffee, alcohol, sugar and white or bleached flour. Some people prefer to take supplements like Vitacel GH7 instead of changing their diet. Other herbs like oil of evening primrose, vitamins like B-12 and Chinese herbal treatments like Hu Qian Wan may help relieve MS symptoms.

5. Get on Your Feet

Several studies support the fact that acupuncture for MS fights symptoms. Patient testimonials include patients confined to wheelchairs regaining mobility, patients being able to stop using canes and patients regaining control of their bodies. MS interferes with the body's ability to communicate via the central nervous system. Many doctors combine other modalities with acupuncture to help the body communicate normally. Along with improving mobility, patients using acupuncture report reduced pain, tingling and numbness.