Multiple sclerosis in an acupuncture practice

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a severe autoimmune demyelinating disease that affects nervous system, has high morbidity and mortality and no effective targeted therapies are available. We present a case of 66-year-old female patient who has been treated by both conventional and Chinese traditional medicine after diagnosis was confirmed in 2008 as MS and antiphospholipid syndrome associated with CNS vasculitis. After diagnosis with clinical image confirmed with CT and MRI scan, where demyelinating zones were present, she started pharmacological therapy without major improvement. Patient suffered with fatigue, walking difficulties, weakness, was unable to articulate due to vocal cords spasms. We started acupuncture treatment in 2010 with herbal supplement therapy as well and patient had in total of 197 sessions with 10 session's cycle and 2-3 months pause. Patient's mobility was significantly improved after therapy, as well as vocal cord spasms and she gained back her articulation. Subjectively, patient also reported pain relief, mobility and fatigue improvement. Traditional Chinese medicine showed to be effective tool for pain and spasm relieving and can be powerful complementary tool in patients with chronic diseases, such as MS.