I am blessed to have my mother in-law as my accupuncturist and herbalist. Ive been in pity party mode lately so I have not gotten it but I started back up yesterday. It always helps with the pain and numbness just wait until go for a awhile, its awsome. I also have a appointment on the 23rd to see a Hollistic doctor and get my script for LDN. Ive lost faith in western medicine so therefore will only use it for the essentials.. : )

I am thinking this way too lately! Western medicine fails me time and time again. I'm going to see an acupuncturist/chinese medicinal doctor/naturopath/PCP--he sounds amazingly talented and apparently has many patients with MS. Hearing that acupuncture has helped you makes me even more sure I'm doing the right thing by pursuing this! Thanks for this post!

What does an accupunturist do? How does it help? Is is immediate relief? How long does the relief last? Anything anyone can tell me would be appreciated. Thanx!

After researching some on accpuncture, I think I will change my mind. An article:

By Julie Stachowiak, Ph.D.,
Acupuncture is an ancient medical system that holds promise for treating many conditions. To date, there have been no large studies of acupuncture and MS. Given that acupuncture has no history of treating MS and there is a possibility that acupuncture may make MS worse we recommend avoiding acupuncture until further studies are done.

Does Acupuncture Work?:
Acupuncture has been shown to help people with a variety of symptoms. Overall, acupuncture has been shown to relieve postoperative and chemotherapy-related nausea and postoperative dental pain. Research has also been done that shows promise for addiction, stroke rehabilitation, headaches, menstrual cramps and other conditions. There has been almost no research on MS and acupuncture.

How Does Acupuncture Work?:
No one knows. There are various theories within the acupuncture world that discuss how the placement of the needle unblocks the bodys vital energy, called qi or chi. Chinese medicine does not contain the concept of a nervous system, rather relies on theories of how the vital energy moves through a system of pathways (called meridians) in the body. Part of this increased energy flow may be due to a stimulation of the immune system.

What About MS?:
Because acupuncture may stimulate the immune system, there is an implied danger in using acupuncture for MS. Most researchers believe that MS is an autoimmune disease, meaning that it is the result of the bodys immune system attacking the healthy cells surrounding the nerves, called myelin. If acupuncture stimulates the immune system, there is a chance it may increase the damage caused by MS by activating the very immune cells that are attacking the persons own myelin.

But My Acupuncturist Said . . . :
Acupuncture is an ancient medical system that evolved thousands of years ago in China and Asia. MS is an adult-onset illness first diagnosed in 1849 that occurs mostly in people of European descent. Acupuncture simply has no history of treating MS, either historically or in modern times. That is not to say that acupuncture is not valuable, but that it currently has no proven application for MS only theories.

Whats the Bottom Line?:
Overall, acupuncture cannot be recommended for MS. It may be useful in the short term for treating some MS symptoms, but the risk of increasing immune system activity is too great. Seek other alternative therapies until we have more information on acupuncture.

Obviously written by a western medical doctor...

Acupuncture & Multiple Sclerosis

Carie Elizabeth Sklar, Pacific College of Oriental Medicine



Studies show that, when used in conjunction with other modalities, acupuncture can provide effective relief for many MS symptoms.

Because MS damages myelin in the central nervous system, the disease interferes with messages between the body and the brain. Acupuncture can mediate the effects of this disease because it releases endorphins and peptides in the brain, which modulate sensory information between the brain and body.

In a survey conducted by the MS Clinic at the University of British Columbia, 566 patients with definite MS reported using alternative therapies, with acupuncture being the most common method used. The rest of the questionnaire focused on the reported effects of acupuncture, with respondents citing reduced pain, decreased spasticity, improved bladder and bowel dysfunction, and alleviating tingling and numbness, among others.

Dr. Duong Hoang reports a study of 40 victims of MS who were treated with acupuncture. According to the study, "MS patients that had been suffering for a lesser number of years improved even before the completion of 10 acupuncture treatments."

In one case, a 53-year-old Caucasian female had been suffering from MS for 15 years. She had been confined to a wheelchair because of parethesias on both legs, loss of balance and weakness. She also had optic neuritis, insomnia, bladder control difficulties, low back pain, muscle spasms and nervousness. After 10 acupuncture treatments, the patient was able to walk sometimes without a cane. Her vision, sleep, muscle spasms, and general health improved, and her bladder control became normal again.

Another member of Hoangs study was a 42-year-old man who had also suffered from MS for 15 years. He had to use a cane to walk because of parethesias on the left side of his body, and also suffered from poor vision and equilibrium, low back pain, and trouble choking on foods. He had also been sexually impotent for nine years and experienced problems with bladder control. After the first acupuncture treatment, the patient had no more problems swallowing food. After the third treatment, his bladder and vision functioned normally. After six treatments, his impotence was improved and after nine treatments he was able to walk without a cane.

Some patients have even come forward of their own accord to testify how acupuncture has helped them deal with MS. Duane Perron has had Progressive-Relapsing MS since 1978. The treatments he tried - a mixture of ACTH and Cyclospasmal could only keep his MS from getting worse for five years. Perrons MS was concentrated on the entire left side of his body; the optic nerve in his left eye did not function and he had no hearing in his left ear. He also had trigeminal neuralgia on the left side of his face and could not lift his left foot.
Perron decided to try acupuncture for his MS. After two months, he could hardly believe the results. His testimony on acupunctue.com states, "My wife and I went grocery shopping and as we left the store I said to her, Stay behind me and watch how I walk. She did and she said, You are taking much larger steps, you are lifting up your left leg not dragging it, and you are standing up straight!"

Perron went on to say, "Then that Wednesday I had an appointment with my eye doctor for a six-month checkup and he said to me, I don't know the reason, but in all the tests run today, the parameters on the results have at least doubled. That should not occur but it did! I also have cut down on the medication I was taking for trigeminal neuralgia from four tablets a day to one tablet a day."

Perron also wrote that the most exciting result of his acupuncture treatments was that he and his wife could now "walk through the beach sand to the water and waded in the water and waves a number of times each day. Now, I haven't been able to walk in the sand at a beach or let waves hit my legs for at least 12 years! But I did that week, and I did it bare-footed without my brace, just my cane for balance."

Larger studies also report the benefits of acupuncture for MS. According to a study conducted by the Washington Acupuncture Centre in which 10,000 patients were treated and tracked for three years, patients with MS significantly improved by 85 percent.

Contact: Pacific College of Oriental Medicine can be reached at (800) 729-0941 or go to www.PacificCollege.edu.

I think that alternative medicine and eastern medicine is just one of those things that people will always agree and disagree about. What works for alot of people doesnt always work for other people. I think that is true with any type of treatment. Just like some MS drugs are wonderful for some people , others they have made worse. I think it just depends on the person and the treatment.. : )

Yes, I used acupuncture two years after I was diagnosed. It was so helpful!! So glad you posted, since I have stopped. In other words, I have no insurance that will cover. Time to save up!

the above excerpt in Reply #5 was the first I read, and felt accupuncture did hold promise, then I read further. It seems to me the whole concept of MS (i.e, if acupuncture stimulates the immune system, there is a chance it may increase the damage caused by MS by activating the very immune cells that are attacking the persons own myelin) and accupuncture just can't work? I agree with Nahlie, and just agree to disagree. It scares me as much as my decision to use Tysabri, I just can't take the chance...

I used acupuncture abd OMG did I feel better. The only reason I stopped is due to the fact that my therapist/acupuncturist died in a car accident. I have tried others and they weren't as good as he was. I would definately go again if someone like he could be found.

i have another appiontment this week and i cant wait to go. i am really hopeful about this. thanks to all who posted. it confirms that i am doing the bestthing i can for myself now. i truly believe that our medicine and medical system with our modern drugs will kill me before they cure me so i want to go more natural and i think this is best for me now. i sure dont believe it wil hurt me. good news too is that many insurance companies are starting to cover accupuncture and recognize that it has value. i wish mine did, maybe soon it will

I just ran across this article and it sounds really good. Im going to talk to my Mom about it on Monday when I go in for my treatment...

Scalp acupuncture has been proven to have the most success in the treatment of MS and other central nerve damages, as compared to other acupuncture modalities including ear acupuncture, body acupuncture and hand acupuncture. It not only can improve the symptoms, the patient's quality of life, and slow the progression of physical disability, but also can reduce the number of relapses. Scalp acupuncture, discovered by Dr. Jiao Shunfa in 1971, is a modern acupuncture technique combining traditional needling methods with Western medical knowledge of representative areas of the cerebral cortex, including anatomy, physiology, pathology and neurology.

Scalp acupuncture treatment for MS has had much success in reducing numbness and pain, decreasing spasms, improving weakness and paralysis of limbs and improving balance. Many patients also have reported that their bladder and bowel control, fatigue and overall sense of well-being significantly improved after treatment. Recent studies have shown that scalp acupuncture could be a very effective modality in controlling MS. Scalp acupuncture often produces remarkable results after just a few needles are inserted. It usually relieves symptoms immediately, and sometimes only takes several minutes to achieve remarkable results.

Scalp acupuncture areas may be chosen according to the patient's particular symptoms. The primary acupuncture areas for patients with motor problems such as paralysis, weakness of limbs or abnormal sensations in limbs, including tingling, numbness or pain, are the motor area and the sensory and foot-motor areas. Those areas should be inserted with needles and stimulated unilaterally or bilaterally, according to the patient's manifestations. Select the balance area or dizziness area of the scalp, respectively, depending on which symptom the patient manifests. The tremor area of the head should be chosen if patients have limb spasm. Many patients had a very quick positive response in controlling urine and bowel functions when the foot-motor and sensory area is stimulated.

Rotate the needles at least 200 times per minute with the thumb and index finger for one to three minutes. The needles should be twirled as vigorously as the patient can tolerate and repeated every 10 minutes. During the treatment, some patients may have the sensations of some or all of the following: hot, cold, tingling, numbness, heaviness or distending, or the sensation of water or electricity moving along the spine, legs or arms. Those patients with some or all of these sensations usually respond and improve more quickly. However, those who do not have such sensations still could have immediate positive results. Keep the needles inserted for 30 to 45 minutes; the treatment should be administered two to three times per week and a therapeutic course consists of 10 treatments.

There are many different acupuncture techniques to treat MS. Although scalp acupuncture has the fastest track record for improving symptoms, other techniques are also necessary for further improvement. Regular body acupuncture, electric acupuncture and moxibustion, as well as physical therapy and massage, can combine with scalp acupuncture to speed up the time of recovery. Regular acupuncture treatment has been found to have a positive therapeutic effect on the recovery of movements and abnormal sensations of the hands, fingers, feet and toes. Commonly used points are GB-34, LI-3, K-3, ba feng for lower limbs at LI-11, LI-4, SJ-5, and ba xie for upper-limb work. Electrical stimulation is very helpful if the practitioner has difficulty performing the needle rotation more than 200 times per minute. It is suggested that no more than two of the scalp needles be stimulated at any session so the brain does not become too confused to respond. Moxibustion can enhance the therapeutic results of scalp acupuncture, especially for older or weak patients. Recommended points are St-36, Sp-6, CV-4, K-1 and UB-23.

Although there certainly are other acupuncture techniques that can be effective, scalp acupuncture seems to be a more effective model in bringing about quicker and often immediate improvements. In a recent investigation, scalp acupuncture was applied to 16 patients with limb pain at Southwest Rehabilitation Hospital and National Healthcare Center in Albuquerque, N.M. After only one treatment per patient, eight of the 16 patients instantly showed significant improvement (49 percent), six patients showed some improvement (38 percent), and only two patients showed no improvement (13 percent), thus yielding a total effective rate of 87 percent.

Case Study 1: Burning and Stabbing Pain

A 52-year-old female received scalp acupuncture treatment at Southwest Rehabilitation Hospital. After the first symptoms occurred in January 2007, the patient was finally diagnosed with MS in August of that same year. Although various types of medications were provided, she experienced little improvement. The patient described severe burning and stabbing pain throughout her whole body that interrupted her sleep and caused loss of emotional control. She also had occipital headaches and loss of balance that made her unable to walk or turn around. The examination revealed that she could not stand still if her eyes were closed; and she could not turn around, stand on one leg or walk from toe to heel. The movements of touching her nose and touching both index fingers together were only accomplished slowly and with great effort. Her tongue was red and somewhat purple, with a thin white coating. The pulse was wiry and thready.

As soon as she underwent scalp acupuncture treatment, she started to feel the sensations of energy moving down her lower back, followed by heat sensations in her feet. Three minutes later, the burning and stabbing pain diminished considerably. She only felt some of those sensations in her right hip and abdominal area. After 12 minutes had passed, the sensation of burning and stabbing in her entire body had disappeared almost completely, except for some mild sensations in her abdomen. The patient was so excited to feel such dramatic results that she could not wait to test her movements. She was very surprised to find that she had no problem standing with her eyes closed, standing on either leg with the other one raised, walking in a straight line, and turning around without loss of balance. Also, she could now touch her nose and touch her index fingers together like a normal person. By the end of the treatment, her occipital headache had disappeared as well. This patient was happy to tell other MS patients that she felt like a "normal" person (physically and emotionally) after only one scalp acupuncture treatment.

Case Study 2: Paralysis

A 55-year-old female in a wheelchair received scalp acupuncture treatment. After the first symptoms occurred in 1990, the patient finally was diagnosed with MS in 2002. Both of her legs had started to become weak and heavy in the 1990s. Within three years, she was almost paralyzed and finally could not walk at all. The examination revealed she could not stand up straight due to the weakness in her legs, and she was unable to lift her right foot, so she had to drag it behind her while walking. Her tongue was red with a thin white coating; and her pulses were thready and wiry, with weak pulses in the kidney positions.

After four needles were inserted in her scalp, the patient experienced some tingling and electrical sensations in both of her legs. Five minutes later, she felt the urge to move both legs. After exercising her legs by bending and extending them, she was able to stand up straight and walk, free to lift both her feet almost normally. Although it took a lot of effort, she was amazed to be able to walk. At first she needed two people to assist her, then only one person, and finally she was able to walk by herself.

Case Study 3: Dizziness and Vertigo

A 60-year-old female received scalp acupuncture treatment. After the first symptoms occurred at age 20, the patient finally was diagnosed with MS in 1994. Her major symptoms were dizziness and vertigo accompanied by temple headaches that gradually became worse over the next seven years. Sometimes her vertigo was so severe that she felt as if the whole room was spinning violently, which caused her to fall down easily even when she was just standing. Her quality of life was completely diminished, as she had to spend whole days flat on her back with her eyes closed in order to avoid any movement of her head, which aggravated the vertigo. The onset of dizziness and vertigo were exacerbated whenever she changed her position in bed or even moved her head a little bit.

A few years before, the patient had received more than 15 acupuncture treatments from various doctors but experienced little improvement. Upon examination, it was found that her tongue was red with a thick white coating and she had wiry and thready pulses. After two needles were inserted in each temple, the patient reported that she felt some weird sensations in her head that she did not know how to describe. As the doctor stimulated the needles in her head, she was able to explain that it felt like a curtain in front of her eyes had opened. These sensations made her mind clear and her temple headache disappeared. Soon after, her vertigo and dizziness diminished significantly. She moved her head upward, downward, to the left and to the right, testing whether her dizziness and vertigo really were gone. Finally, she announced, "I believe I do not have any dizziness and vertigo anymore. And this was only my first scalp acupuncture treatment!"

Although MS still is an incurable disease of the central nervous system, scalp acupuncture provides an important complementary/alternative treatment approach for improving many MS symptoms and the patient's quality of life by slowing or reversing the progression of physical disability and reducing the number of relapses. By directly stimulating affected areas of the central nervous system, scalp acupuncture has showed more effective results compared to other acupuncture techniques. Our studies showed that 87 percent of the patients had instant improvements after only one scalp acupuncture treatment. The study also demonstrated that scalp acupuncture treatment for MS is accessible, less expensive, safer, more effective, and caused fewer side effects. Scalp acupuncture not only benefits patients with MS, but also significantly helps us to better understand the mechanisms that cause the condition. It may guide us to the discovery of new effective treatments and hopefully to a cure for this disease in the future.

thanks for the article you posted. it is very encouraging! my accu dr did 3 needles in my scalp last time. i am anxiuos to see him again as our heat wave and then cold front, back to heat wave is messing me up!. thanks again!

Hi Everyone!
First post here. I saw the topic and had to chime in.
My wife came down with MS about 5 years ago and was hit pretty hard. She was completely paralyzed on her left side and so was in the hospital for 6 months. Long story short, in addition to the conventional treatment she was getting in the hospital, her mother, (an acupuncturist,) was giving her extensive acupuncture treatments, both while she was in the hospital and for several months after she was let out. Her recovery was amazing.
She then started treatment with another acupuncturist / TCM specialist who helped her get in control of her symptoms, so much so that she was able to stop taking her Interferon, which she had been using for 3 years.
We've actually started a blog about our experience with MS. It's still in its infancy now but we will eventually talk about how we were able to treat her symptoms. (I forgot to mention that Yumi is a practicing MD here in Japan.) If you want an overview of the whole dramatic story, you can go to 'Mark's Story' here:
http://myphoenixfliesagain.com/marks-story

Yumi is basically starting from the beginning with her posts so please have some patience. She'll get to the good stuff soon enough. Her posts are at:
http://myphoenixfliesagain.com/

Please take a look and feel free to comment. We'd love to hear from you all.

Thanks much. We look forward to sharing support with you all and wish you all the best.

Mark