The secret to overcoming Multiple Sclerosis may perhaps be that there is no secret.  The answer probably doesn’t lie in a magical drug cure waiting in the wings, or in a single treatment method under trial.  Many decades of research and untold millions of dollars later, the outlook for overcoming MS is better than it was in, say, 1980.  But the pharmaceutical industry has only come up with some drugs to help with symptoms or increase the time between relapses.

It seems that more patients are finding comfort and, in fact, overcoming multiple sclerosis by taking a more holistic approach to modify the course of the disease.  The literature is full of evidence that Multiple Sclerosis is a disease brought on in large part by modern lifestyle and mostly in the developed countries.  And this holistic approach has helped them to both control their disease and prevent themselves from living a life of disability.

 

Professor Roy Swank was a pioneer in the role of diet in overcoming MS

 

Professor Swank began his work in 1949 by enrolling 150 patients to start on an MS diet he developed. His diet was based on his observation that MS rates seemed to be higher in parts of the world where consumption of saturated fat was high – particularly saturated fat from dairy products.  He also noted that the rates seemed to be lower where fish consumption was high (its high omega-3 fat content being of interest).

The bottom line of his research was that after following these participants meticulously for 34 years, those that stuck to his diet (72 of them) showed significantly less disease progression than those that didn’t.  He had a grading scale of 1 to 6, with 6 being the worst (deceased). The people sticking to the diet who entered grade of 1 at entry progressed to an average of 1.9 34 years later.  The same participant entry grade of 1 deteriorated to an average 5.3 34 years later.  The results in detail can be reviewed by anyone interested by searching for the Swank Diet online and viewing the study results.

There have been many studies since this one, each showing similar results and substantial evidence that diet can play an important role in overcoming Multiple Sclerosis

 

Diet is only one of the lifestyle changes that can help you in your battle to fight off disability

 

There are other ways to treat MS without drugs with overwhelming evidentiary literature.  These include exposure to sunlight and vitamin D, meditation, yoga, and exercise to name a few.  These holistic approaches are becoming more and more mainstream but are still largely dismissed by the conventional medical community.  Professor George Jelinek, MD has written a groundbreaking book that id giving hope to MS patients everywhere.  Many other doctors and researchers are beginning to realize the value of these alternative treatments as well.  In his book titled Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis, Jelinek details his research into these lifestyle changes and offers reader many ways to incorporate them into their life.

MS patients everywhere should develop a positive attitude and never resign themselves to a life of disability.  Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis will take some effort on your part to be sure.  But the effort may well make the difference between a life of pursuing your passions and a life in a wheelchair.