Approximately one-half of all people with MS will at some point in their lives require a cane or other assistive device for mobility. We frequently receive questions about what new approaches might help. There are several new options these days:

Some people with MS choose to use various complementary and alternative therapies. Our MS team believes in patient empowerment, which includes encouraging you to take charge of your own health care. At the same time, we are happy to answer questions about what we think of various treatment options that are currently available.

Much of the Pacific Northwest is a temperate rainforest—lush, green and beautiful throughout the year. While many of us wouldn’t trade it for any other climate, it does have one health drawback, namely, the tendency toward vitamin D deficiency. Although our primary source for vitamin D is sun exposure, even people who spend a lot of time outdoors can develop vitamin D deficiency here in the Northwest where the sun’s rays are relatively weak year round. Those who don’t get enough vitamin D can develop a host of medical problems including weakness of muscle and bone, chronic pain, rickets in children, and osteoporosis in adults.

Research into Blood Flow in the Brain and Venous Insufficiency, or CCSVI, in MS – Request for Research Applications Released to Investigators Worldwide

National Multiple Sclerosis Society, December 16, 2009

Recent reports are calling attention to the idea that a phenomenon called CCSVI, a reported abnormality in blood drainage from the brain and spinal cord, may contribute to nervous system damage in MS. This hypothesis has been put forth by Dr. Paulo Zamboni from the University of Ferrara in Italy. Based on the results of his initial preliminary findings, Dr. Zamboni states that this pilot study warrants a subsequent larger and better controlled study to definitively evaluate the possible impact of CCSVI on the disease process in MS.