Jan 27, 2009
Offering an Alternative
Greater Washington Chapter
Over the last year, Alayne Spaulding has noticed a boost in her energy and mental focus. Her body feels more “in sync”, she’s walking better, and the debilitating bouts that used to strike weekly are much less frequent.
She credits these improvements not to a new disease-modifying MS drug, but to a regimen that includes naturopathic medicine, meditation, stretching, yoga and work with a personal trainer, who helps her with her balance and strength.
“My philosophy is if I keep on top of it, I can live a relatively normal life,” says Alayne, a family-practice lawyer who is currently on disability. “Without this approach, I think my disease progression would be much worse.”
Alayne is representative of the growing popularity of CAM (complementary and alternative medicine) among people with MS.
In the United States, as many as 75 percent of MS patients use some form of CAM, which includes a wide variety of therapies and practices such as naturopathic medicine (which focuses on natural remedies, nutrition and herbs to help the body heal itself), acupuncture, Chinese medicine, meditation, massage, tai chi and yoga.
“Individuals seeking complementary and alternative medicine tend to be very motivated to improve their health,” says Dr. Laurie Mischley, a Seattle naturopathic physician (pictured above on left) who works solely with patients who have neurological disorders such as MS.
Dr. Mischley’s approach is based on the belief that MS is a different disease for different people, and that lifestyle, nutritional and environmental factors help shape its course. Focusing on “health promotion” rather than symptom management, her goal is to help patients get as close as possible to a “benign MS.”
Working in collaboration with local neurologists, who often refer patients to her, she insists that her patients have a neurologist on their health care team and she supports the use of FDA-approved drugs for MS.
“Patients in the Pacific Northwest feel fortunate to not have to choose between conventional and alternative medicine,” she says. State insurance laws mandate coverage of many naturopathic therapies.
Dr. James Bowen, a local neurologist and leading MS researcher, agrees. ”People with MS are best served by medical providers who are willing to work together with alternative medicine practitioners,” he says. “It is important that doctors are open to discussing these issues so that patients can make informed decisions about their care.”
With all the information and claims out there, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.
That’s why the National MS Society and our Chapter offer a wealth of balanced information on CAM as well as educational programs and forums.
For details, visit the National MS Society’s Web site at www.nationalmssociety.org or contact the Chapter at 1-800-344-4867 and press 1 to receive printed copies of CAM information.
The Chapter also recommends that anyone using CAM talk to their health care providers and keep them informed of all the drugs, supplements and therapies they’re using. Only then can they be sure that the treatment is safe, cost-effective and right for them.
Alayne says she sees all the parts of her regimen - complementary and conventional - as pieces of the same puzzle. “Whether you have MS or not, your health is more than just the physical,” she says. “It’s also the mental and the spiritual. I want to address them all.”