Journal of Chiropractic Education 1999 Spr; 13(1): 83
ABSTRACT: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating disease of the central nervous system that affects thousands of persons per year. While MS currently has no cure, most available therapies are directed toward alleviation of associated symptomatology, while promoting self-sufficiency. Medical approaches include use of pharmaceuticals, diet and behavior modification, and physical therapy. Besides chiropractic manipulative therapy, alternative therapies for relief of symptomatology include acupuncture, bee venom, and a host of other remedies; the effectiveness of these is based substantially on anecdotal evidence. Multiple sclerosis carries essentially three levels of diagnosis confirmation: possible, probable, and definite. To date, there have been only two published accounts of the effects of chiropractic care on the symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis: one with a diagnosis of possible MS, with a second involving a probable MS diagnosis, later confirmed with MRI. This prospective case study involves a patient with a diagnosis of definite MS, and illustrates a potentially beneficial relationship between chiropractic care and MS-related symptomatology.