Of varying severity, Multiple Sclerosis (or MS, for short) is arguably a disease that is a series of different disorders across the human body. These can range from a constant tingling or numbness to speech and sight problems. As a result, the social and emotional stress caused by MS commonly draws out depression and anxiety. No matter the disease’s potency, Multiple Sclerosis is a terrifically hard time for those that suffer from it.
So where does Chinese Medicine fit in this untidy puzzle?
In typical Western medicine, doctors and GPs tend to prescribe doses of steroids, with undesired and sometimes unsettling side-effects. Whether you are a sufferer or not, it is a tell-tale sign of a long line of drugs that are merely there to combat the problems resulting from the previous one. Worse still, the original drug may not be effectual.
When Chinese Medicine is mentioned, we often imagine the adverts showing a varying array of needles peeking out of the back of its strangely cheerful patient. Acupuncture is commonly-recognised as the go-to in holistic healing, followed by herbal medicine.
Considered an art form than merely a job, the practitioners of Chinese Medicine often hold to the notion that there is a root cause towards an illness. Through this practice, the various symptoms can, in theory, be reduced all in one shot.
But how, you may wonder, can something like Multiple Sclerosis be handled when there are so many symptoms?
The nature of Chinese Medicine is that it assists the individual by focusing on their specific issue. By looking for patterns in the sufferer’s illness, the treatment for MS is thoroughly sought for and attempted.
Another advantage of Chinese Medicine is the reduction of side-effects. Should we push aside The Mummy’s myth that newt’s heads and rat toes are the Orient’s idea of holistic healing; then we shall find that natural herbs are the healthier (and perhaps safer) alternative to the chain-steroids prescribed by a Western doctor. In a recent survey of British acupuncturists, there were only 671 minor adverse events in 10,000 sessions none of which were life-threatening and in acupuncture, there were very few complications. Across the pond, the United States registered only 9 medical incidents within the last 20 years.
The strange benefits to Chinese Medicine is debatable within the West’s medical community, but for sufferers of Multiple Sclerosis, the pain relief matters.
Why risk your body when you can give it so much more?