Over the years, Western medicine proved to be unable to treat some of the illnesses that Eastern medicine seen as difficult but not impossible to treat. This is the case with MS.

While Western medicine focuses on the symptoms, the “how” instead of the “why”, Eastern medicine, including Chinese medicine focuses on the person as a whole, and sees illness as a part of an unbalanced mind, body and soul.

According to the Chinese Medicine, MS is associated with the flaccidity syndrome, which results in muscular weakness. Chinese doctors cause this on Dampness ( which affects the muscles and Spleen) and or a deficiency in the Kidney and Liver Zang ( which affects bones and tendons). At the same time, other factors like improper diet, damp environments, shocks, excessive sexual activity are seen as causes for this illness. According to Chinese medicine, the early stages are caused by Dampness, but this deficiency in the body leads to Kidney and Liver Zang deficiency, which causes the Liver Yang to rise, and symptoms like tremor, paraysis, dizziness or stiffness to occur.

Traditional Chinese medicine treats Multiple Sclerosis mainly trough acupuncture, herbal medicines and Qi Gong.

In acupuncture, several points will be taken under consideration based on the patient’s symptoms and the Pattern of Disharmony. For example, Spleen Deficiency with Dampness requires the acupuncture of Zu San Li ( Stomach 36), Yin Ling Quan ( Spleen 9) and Feng Long ( Stomach 40) and so on. Depending on the patient, some other local points will be added to relief the symptoms of MS.

Herbal Medicine is used in Chinese Medicine based on the patient’s symptoms. For dampness, herbs like Rhizonma Atractylodis Lanceae ( Cang Zu) and Semen Coicis Lachryma Jobi ( Yi Yi Ren) are used because these help drain Dampness and strengthen one’s spleen. If Kidney and Liver Deficiency are present, Radix Rehmanniae ( Shu Di Huang) and Ramus Loranthi ( Sang Ji Sheng) will be used to strengthen these organs. The muscular pain and discomfort many MS patients feel are treated using Radix Angelicae Pubescentis ( Du Huo), and Cortex Acanthopanacis Radicis ( Wu Jia Pi).

Also, Chinese medicine sees MS treatment incomplete without Qi Gong, and exercises like Tai Qi Quan and Eight Brocade are recommended to maintain flexibility, strength and balance. The massage and stretching of limbs while focusing on bringing Qi to the affected areas is also used by Chinese medicine.

While it is true that some of the practices and view of the East seem strange and sometimes magical to the West, there is undoubtedly truth and good in them, as, over the years, many of the illnesses that were not treated by Western doctors were successfully treated by Easter medicine.

At the same time, it is true that for the moment neither Western or Eastern medicine have a cure for Multiple Sclerosis. In this case, because Eastern medicine is overlooked, all the hopes are towards Western medicine.