A Functional Medicine Doctor’s Natural Remedies for MS
Like many autoimmune diseases, multiple sclerosis responds well when you get to the root of the problem. The approach to multiple sclerosis that we use at Caplan Health Institute involves a combination of diet and lifestyle factors that are quite effective at relieving multiple sclerosis symptoms.
In this blog post, I’ll share some of the best natural treatments for multiple sclerosis. You’ll learn how a functional medicine doctor can personalize a treatment plan based on your individual needs to reduce your MS symptoms and get you feeling better again. We will talk about diet, a healthy gut, how to retrain the nervous system, exercise, sleep, and my favorite MS supplements.
What Is Multiple Sclerosis?
MS is an autoimmune disease that damages the covering of the nerves, known as the myelin sheath. For someone with MS, the immune system mistakenly harms the person’s own tissues, much like it does in other autoimmune diseases. However, in the case of MS, the target of the immune system is the nerve covering. When nerves are damaged, it causes miscommunication between the brain and the body.
Depending on how severe the nerve damage is and where it’s located, the disease can be severe or mild. Multiple sclerosis is often relapsing and recurring, which means that symptoms go away for a while then return.
Symptoms of MS may include:
• Numbness or weakness that usually happens on one side of the body at a time
• Tingling
• A feeling like an electric shock when the neck is moved, especially when it’s bent forward
• Coordination problems
• Unsteadiness when walking
• Partial or complete vision loss
• Double or blurry vision
• Vertigo
• Sexual dysfunction
• Issues with bowel or bladder function
• Fatigue
• Slurred speech
• Cognitive difficulties
• Mood problems
Conventional Treatments for MS
In some people, symptoms are so mild that they don’t need treatment, but during a relapse, corticosteroids like prednisone are often prescribed to reduce nerve inflammation. These medications can have side effects, like high blood pressure or high blood sugar, as well as sleeping problems and bloating. If you don’t respond to steroids, doctors may prescribe blood plasma exchange. In this type of treatment, your plasma is removed and separated from your blood, which is then mixed with a protein solution and returned to your body.
To stop the disease from getting worse, conventional doctors may prescribe injectable and oral medications or infusions. These medications suppress the immune system in an effort to reduce the frequency and severity of MS flare-ups. Examples are interferon medications, monoclonal antibodies such as ocrelizumab, or other immunomodulating medications, such as dimethyl fumarate. All of these treatments have side effects, sometimes serious.
On the other hand, a functional medicine approach to MS investigates and addresses the root causes of MS, why the immune system is misbehaving in the first place. The goal is to reduce symptoms by calming down the immune system naturally, without the need for immune-suppressing medications. It uses diet and lifestyle changes so that the body can heal itself. If you’re wondering how to get multiple sclerosis into remission without medications or their adverse effects, a functional medicine approach may be right for you.
How to Put MS Into Remission with Diet
As with all autoimmune diseases, the key is to figure out which foods in a patient’s diet are causing a sensitivity response, which stresses the body, promotes inflammation, and triggers the immune system. If you’re reacting to foods, you’re going to keep your autoimmune disease more active as well.
We always work with patients on their diets to figure out problem areas, embarking on an elimination diet to remove any dietary stresses, and then working on healing your body so that you can eventually diversify and broaden your diet to include as many phytonutrients as possible.
By broadening your diet, not only are you going to get nutrients into your body, but you’ll also feed the gut microbiome, the collection of microorganisms in your gastrointestinal tract. Research is revealing that imbalances in the gut microbiome—what scientists call dysbiosis—may play a role in the development of MS.
Natural Remedies for MS—Your Lifestyle
Increase Neuroplasticity
In multiple sclerosis, neurons don’t communicate effectively. That’s why increasing neuroplasticity—the building of new neuronal connections in the brain—can help your neurons work better. What’s the best way to accomplish this? Engage in activities that are new. It can be as simple as trying different types of exercise or even taking a new route to work. If you always brush your teeth with your right hand, try brushing them with your left hand. Change things up a little bit in order to keep a strong, healthy brain.
Activate the Vagus Nerve and Parasympathetic Nervous System
One of the best natural ways to put MS and its symptoms into remission involves activating the vagus nerve, which pushes the body into a parasympathetic state.
The vagus nerve is the main player in the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for resting and digesting. The parasympathetic nervous system controls bodily functions, like mood, immune response, digestion, and heart rate. It is the “destress” side of your nervous system- if you will only give it a chance to work.
Stress management techniques are especially good for keeping the vagus nerve healthy. Finding a stress-reduction technique you enjoy like mindfulness, meditation, or writing in a gratitude journal can be a good way to get the parasympathetic response turned on to help the body, the immune system, and the nervous system calm down. Physical movement, like tai chi, yoga, and stretching can also boost vagus nerve health, as long as the activity isn’t too intense.
Another way to lower stress and increase the health of the vagus nerve and the parasympathetic nervous system is to use soothing essential oils or sound therapy. There’s also a form of therapy known as the emotional freedom technique (EFT) where you tap on specific points on your body while repeating positive affirmations or other statements.
Do the Best Exercises for MS
The best exercises for multiple sclerosis are gentle. You don’t want to overdo it, but you do need to exercise. The old saying “use it or lose it” applies here. Many people with MS have weakness and balance issues that may be resolved by staying physically active.
Working with a physical therapist can be helpful. Doing exercises that are tolerated is the key. If you have balance issues or muscle weakness, then doing a high-intensity workout might be out of the question or even make your symptoms worse. Try to exercise on a recumbent bike or in the water where it’s easier for the body.
Get Restful Sleep
Make sure you’re sleeping well, not only getting enough hours but also getting enough deep, restful sleep. If sleep problems exist, work with a functional medicine provider to figure out why you’re having those issues. It could be a simple blood sugar problem, which can be easily resolved, or a cortisol adrenal issue. Figuring out what’s keeping you from sleeping well is HUGE. When we sleep, our immune system heals and repairs itself.
Dietary Supplements for MS
One root cause of MS is that the mitochondria are not working well. Mitochondria make the energy in our cells. Most patients with MS need nutrients to nourish the mitochondria. That’s where phytonutrients in the diet come in, but we also need to ensure the gut microbiome is healthy.
Mitochondria nutrients vary from person to person, but I usually recommend a supplement called MitoCORE® to multiple sclerosis patients. It’s a multivitamin with additional mitochondrial support, including resveratrol, alpha-lipoic acid, and green tea extract.
MS patients can also supplement with antioxidants, especially glutathione, and anything else their bodies need, as dictated by specific lab tests.
Other dietary supplements for multiple sclerosis include omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D, which are foundational support supplements I recommend to all autoimmune patients.
For some MS patients, reactivated Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) can be a trigger for the disease. In these patients, I recommend anti-viral supplements like monolaurin, L-lysine, and cat’s claw.
A supplement approach is best personalized based on your lab test results, so consult with a functional medicine provider to find out the best supplement program for you.
How to Address MS with a Functional Medicine Provider
As a functional medicine doctor specializing in autoimmune disease, I can personalize an approach that may put you into a long-lasting remission by eliminating or minimizing your MS symptoms.
Here’s how it works: sign up for a free 15-minute discovery consultation, and if you come on board as a practice member, I can develop a customized plan to help you stop the autoimmune process, repair tissues, and put multiple sclerosis symptoms in their place. We’ll start by recommending a good diet and then ordering the right lab tests. Based on the results, we’ll personalize a functional medicine approach for you with exactly the supplements and lifestyle changes you need to prevent MS flare-ups and feel healthy again.
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