Multiple sclerosis is a disease of the central nervous system that
makes it attack the myelin, a substance that protects the nerve endings
that are spread throughout the entire body. The central nervous system
is responsible for sending the white blood cells and the antibodies
attack the viruses and bacteria that threaten to cause infections. When
the nervous system is affected by multiple sclerosis it sends these
guardian cells against the myelin. The cause of this behavior is not
known yet but the scientist believe that it is sometimes
genetically-based.
Multiple sclerosis affects more than a million people throughout the
world and unfortunately there is no known treatment that can cure it.
The only thing that multiple sclerosis therapy can do is to relive its
symptoms and modify the way the illness advances and develops.
Multiple sclerosis therapy is done with the help of drugs. The type of
drug administered depends on how multiple sclerosis manifests and on
the patient.
The two main types of medication that are generally prescribed to
multiple sclerosis patients are methylprednisolon and methotrexate.
Methylprednisolone can reduce the intensity of the attacks that occur
when many antibodies are sent against the nerve endings and lighten the
inflammation of the attacked areas. This drug can be in the form of
pills and injections.
Methotrexate is a drug that is still in the test phase. It was
initially designed to fight arthritis but some tests have found that
it's effective against multiple sclerosis too. The future will tell us
how good it is. Some doctors have started prescribing it.
There are some drugs that are administered only when certain symptoms
occur. For example if the multiple sclerosis attacks the nerve endings
of muscles the patient should take muscle pain relieving medication and
do some physiotherapy.
Unfortunately many of the drugs used in multiple sclerosis therapy also
have side-effects. The side-effects can be fever, indigestion,
irritations of the skin, and drowsiness.
Some people prefer alternative therapies because the do not want to
experience the side effects of the illness. The most popular
alternative therapies are massage, acupuncture, yoga and relaxation
tehniquies.
There are a lot of institutions that have the role of helping multiple
sclerosis patients get in touch with the latest methods of treating
this illness and to help them deal with the condition they have.
Seeking help from one of these institutions is highly recommended.
