When there is no current scientifically accepted cure for a disease, people understandably want to try other means of management. Many people over the last 30 or 40 years have claimed that they have the answer to MS, but the difficult problem for all such potential therapies is to find out whether there really is a connection between the treatment and a remission.
A distinguishing characteristic of complementary therapies is their focus on the ‘whole person’, using the body’s own healing powers. Many of these therapies are only now being scientifically studied. Some complementary therapies fall outside what is considered conventional scientific medicine, but may be used alongside it, such as acupuncture. Other therapies are generally considered much more unorthodox by the medical profession (described as ‘alternative’), e.g. naturopathy, herbalism or crystal healing. However, complementary and alternative treatments are often considered as a group under the heading of CAM (complementary and alternative medicines).
Research suggests that up to 60% of people with Multiple Sclerosis are using some form of CAM – people with MS visit CAM practitioners nearly 50% more often than others without MS. Whilst some people use CAM alone, by far the majority use both CAM and conventional medicine together.