By Gary P Owen
If you were to ask anyone who has multiple sclerosis what the hardest thing to deal with on a daily basis was they would most likely tell you it was the pain. Only in the last 25 years or so has MS pain management been something that the medical community has taken any interest in. Prior to this most doctors did not consider
pain as a part of this disease. Anyone who has MS will tell you a very different story as pain is something that they have become accustomed to living with.
Pharmaceutical MS Pain Management
One area of MS pain management that is under constant scrutiny is the use of pharmaceuticals. The one thing that the majority of both patients and physicians seem to agree is that for the most part none of the current pain medications seem to be of much use. Even those who have tried the various prescription opioids report very limited success.
One also has to look beyond any temporary relief that the most aggressive pharmacological treatments offer as they have only been moderately successful. Many of the latest rounds of drugs designed to reduce or eliminate the pain are known to not only perform poorly, but have side effects that although mild in the majority of patients can actually be a bigger problem than the pain they are supposed to help with in others.
Naturopathic MS Pain Management
Rather than placing one's faith in drugs that are often worse than the symptoms, many patients and specialists are taking a much closer look at a more natural approach to helping with the pain. This can include both physical and occupational therapy. More emphasis is being placed on overall physical fitness by having the patient participate in a regimen of non-strenuous exercise that helps to keep their muscles stretched and flexible to help with the pain associated with muscle spasticity.
Acupuncture and the use of massage therapy with associated TENS units, are also being met with relatively high levels of success. Both of these therapies can be used to target specific areas where the pain is centralized and provide the necessary relief. When combined with a healthy diet that includes plenty of leafy greens, fruits and seafood instead of flour and processed junk food that is the typical western diet, the levels of inflammation are reduced and along with this the pain. Naturopathic methods of MS pain management are being found to be far more successful and less destructive that any of the pain medications currently on the market. What
I have benefited greatly from a book which has examined the link between what we eat and multiple sclerosis. If you would like to know what foods are attacking your body, what supplements you must take and how to create the energy that you need, then this book is a must read. Reverse Multiple Sclerosis
I am not a doctor nor am I qualified in medicine in any way. These are things that have worked for me in controlling my MS. Before undertaking any diet or fitness regime you should always consult your physician first.
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