Related Content FARMINGTON, Conn. (WTNH) There is promising research for patients with multiple sclerosis. The on-going study at UConn Health Center is looking for more people with MS to sign up. Unlocking the cause for auto-immune diseases like Mutiple Sclerosis has proved challenging. But millions of dollars of research funding from the National MS Society has led UConn researchers to discover a strong link that could affect treatment. Its in the UConn Health Center laboratory, where research scientist Dr. Robert Clark and his team are studying the role of gastro-intestinal bacteria in auto-immune diseases like Multiple Sclerosis, which attacks the central nervous system. Can the bacteria in the GI Tract affect diseases like this? said Clark. In a small study comparing blood samples of MS patients with a control group, the lead investigator found a link. This is a group of typical bacteria that we believe that are in the gastrointestinal tract, said Clark. While the bacteria was common to both the levels of a certain molecule it secretes were not. In 17 out of 17 MS patients, all of them had very low levels of this molecule, said Clark. In animal studies they found even more significant findings. View … Continue reading →

There is strong evidence that medical marijuana pills may reduce symptoms of spasticity and pain reported by multiple sclerosis patients, but little proof that smoking pot offers the same benefit, according to new alternative treatment guidelines released by the American Academy of Neurology. The guidelines on complementary and alternative medicine, or CAM, treatments for MS were published Monday in the journal Neurology and are among the first from a national medical organization to suggest that doctors might offer cannabis treatment to patients. Though advocates of medical marijuana use said the guidelines appeared to be part of a recent national trend in which doctors were seriously evaluating the use of cannabis, they argued that the federal government had stymied marijuana research. "The reason there's no evidence on inhaled cannabis is because it's very difficult to study," said Dr. Donald Abrams, a professor of clinical medicine at the University of California San Francisco and a marijuana researcher who was not involved in the guideline study. "The government really restricts studies of the plant." A panel of AAN researchers based their guidelines on a review of 115 clinical studies that examined a variety of alternative MS treatments, including the use of ginkgo biloba, … Continue reading →

By Maureen Salamon HealthDay Reporter MONDAY, March 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Medical marijuana pills and sprays might ease the symptoms of multiple sclerosis, but most other alternative therapies do little to lessen the pain and muscle rigidity that often accompanies the disease, according to new guidelines. To reach that conclusion, an expert panel from the American Academy of Neurology reviewed more than 40 years of research on alternative medicine treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS). In addition to the recommendations about medical marijuana use, the nine experts also found that ginkgo biloba might help with the fatigue of MS and reflexology may ease MS symptoms such as tingling, numbness and other unusual skin sensations. Bee sting therapy and omega-3 fatty acids, however, offer weak evidence supporting their use. "It's a very common practice in the MS patient population to try alternative therapies," said the author of the guidelines, Dr. Vijayshree Yadav, clinical director of Oregon Health & Science University's MS Center, in Portland. "The problem is there was never an evidence-based recommendation for MS patients or those taking care of patients," Yadav said. "This is a first step to educate each audience." The guidelines are published in the March 25 … Continue reading →

Current ratings for: Marijuana pills and sprays ease MS symptoms Public / Patient: 4.5 8 ratings Health Professionals: 1.5 4 ratings Multiple sclerosis is characterized by disrupted communication between the brain and the body, resulting in symptoms ranging from blurred vision to muscle weakness and pain. There is no cure for the condition, and therapies have proven difficult, as many have serious side effects. But now, relief may come in the form of a medical marijuana pill. This is according to a new guideline released from the American Academy of Neurology and published in its journal Neurology. The guideline investigated complementary or alternative medicine therapies (CAM) for multiple sclerosis (MS). These are unconventional therapies used alongside or instead of doctor-recommended therapies. Medical News Today recently wrote a spotlight feature focusing on symptoms and treatments for the condition to coincide with National Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month in March. In that feature, Arney Rosenblat, associate vice president of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, told us that though there are currently 10 disease-modifying therapies approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for MS, "there is deep unmet need for additional therapies, especially to treat progressive forms of disease for which there are … Continue reading →