Summary

Using beta-interferon, copolymer 1 or any other medication recommended by your doctor is important and the side effects experienced early in treatment usually resolve. Incorporating some of the complementary methods discussed here, including dietary alterations, nutrient supplements, physical activity (when possible), and methods of coping may be helpful.

In addition, acupuncture helps symptoms and side effects of medication for some people, but other people may be quite sensitive to the needles and therefore cannot tolerate the process. Magnetic therapy may show some early promise as an adjunctive treatment to medications; watch for more information, since often with MS things look promising early on, only to prove to be of no more use than the approaches we've discussed.

Finally, I think MS is an example of how health care can be truly holistic and integrated. Integration means not only bringing together Eastern and Western medical practices, but also integrating the care of the whole person as an active participant in his or her own healing. True care for a person with MS cannot occur without such a comprehensive perspective. Compassion for the particularly unique physical and emotional situation of each person with MS is part of the treatment, as is sensitivity to the particular burden of this disease and the need for hope under all circumstances.