Multiple sclerosis according to TCM

Multiple sclerosis (Latin: sclerosis multiplex) is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the human immune system attacks the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), causing demyelination (breakdown of myelin sheaths). The disease mainly affects young adults (aged 20 to 40 years) and is more common in women (approximately 2:1). MS is the most common neurological disease in the northern hemisphere – in the USA, for example, one in 700 people suffers from this disease. It occurs mostly in the so-called western civilized world (northern USA, Western Europe, Australia), but is rarely found in eastern nations, as well as in Africa. One of the theories of Western medicine about the origin of this disease is based on the fact that people in the northern hemisphere are much more susceptible to being infected by various viruses and bacteria, which in the future build up their immune system to the so-called autoimmune reaction, i.e. to a state where the body cannot distinguish between “good and harmful energy” and begins to absorb itself.

Opinions are different, as well as various conjectures and suppositions, but only one thing is certain – no one knows exactly where and what is the origin of the disease. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is more inclined to the view that it is not only the northern hemisphere that is to blame, but mainly the way of life of western civilization (emotions, stress, diet, overwork, synthetic drugs, contraceptives, chemicalization, “turbohectic life”, etc.), which is why the so-called more primitive peoples do not know this disease. This claim is also supported by the fact that Afro-Caribbean and Indian immigrants then suffer from the disease in the US as well as Americans…More and more relatively young people, the vast majority of them women, are suffering from the disease. According to TCM, the early use of hormonal contraception in young girls has a certain negative impact on this, as not everyone is “resistant” to it . We just pay sometimes a cruel price for all the inventions of our civilization and various schemes of relief.

MS symptoms

The symptoms of this disease are highly diverse and varied, and depend on the location of the infliction of the myelin sheaths of the nervous system – blurred vision, vertigo, weakness and heaviness of one or both lower limbs, twitching of the limbs, double vision (usually in one eye only), vertigo, dizziness, vomiting, forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, uncoordinated movements, uncontrolled eyelid movements and oscillations, tingling in the hands and feet as if there were a weak electric current, numbness in the limbs, urge or difficulty urinating, impotence, urinary incontinence, slurred speech.

Who is to blame?

According to TCM, the most common causes of MS are the following 5 factors:

1. irregular and one-sided diet which damages the energy of the Qi pathway of the spleen PI QI XU, which is then attacked by the dampness SHI – fatty and greasy food, cold and raw food such as raw fruits and vegetables, milk and dairy products, alcohol, black coffee, energy drinks.
2. external dampness infestation SHI which blocks the pathways and causes heaviness in the limbs, pins and needles in the limbs and numbness – sitting on grass, working in damp environments, staying in the rain and fog, getting wet, staying in wet swimsuits after swimming, in women also having a cold during menstruation or after childbirth.
3. excessive sexual activity, which weakens the SHEN/GAN QI XU pathway of the kidney and liver and causes symptoms such as dizziness, blurred vision, urge to urinate or, conversely, difficulty urinating, weakness of the lower limbs, etc.
4. shock causes a sudden weakening of the Qi energy of the heart and spleen XIN/PI QI XU pathways, whereby the spleen cannot then nourish the muscles sufficiently and the heart in turn does not supply blood to the limbs, both of which lead to weakness of the limbs, vertigo and dizziness.
5. overwork which leads to depletion of the kidney yin SHEN YIN XU, which in turn leads to depletion of the liver yin GAN YIN XU and the formation of inner wind NEI FENG, which manifests as blurred vision, double vision, muscle spasms and twitching, vertigo, impotence, difficulty urinating (incontinence, urge to urinate or difficulty urinating), tingling and numbness in the limbs.

4 stages of the disease

1. initial stage when damp SHI, which often combines with TAN mucus, appears as the primary trigger of the disease. Damp SHI manifests itself early in the disease as numbness in the limbs, tingling in the limbs, feeling of heaviness in the limbs, vertigo, which is caused by the presence of internal SHI dampness, which is exacerbated by external dampness. In the event that TAN mucus is also added, it appears as blurred vision and double vision(TAN mucus blocks the outlets of the LUO pathways). In the early stages, the disease is always in a state of excess and it is necessary to eliminate the damp SHI, and possibly dissolve the mucus TAN.
2. intermediate stage, when it occurs in prolonged deficiency of the WEI/PI QI XU gastrosplenic pathway, manifested by symptoms such as weakness of the limbs, dragging of the legs and difficulty walking.In addition, this deficiency is accompanied by damp SHI and/or mucus TAN, which is manifested by poor memory, difficulty concentrating and numbness of the limbs.
3. middle – late stage, whenkidney and liver deficiency SHEN/GAN QI XU occurs, which is manifested by symptoms such as dizziness, vertigo, blurred vision, progressively worsening weakness of the limbs, uncoordinated movements, electric sensation in the hands and feet, urge to urinate or, conversely, difficulty urinating, impotence and urinary incontinence.
4. late stage, when the internal wind of the liver GAN NEI FENG (due to the deficiency of the kidney yin and liver SHEN/GAN YIN XU) appears, which manifests as severe vertigo and dizziness, vomiting, uncontrollable eyelid movements and oscillations, tremors and severe cramps and contractions of the limbs.In addition, there is the accompanying blood blockage YU XUE (based on the deficiency of the stomach and spleen WEI/PI QI XU or the deficiency of the kidney and liver SHEN/GAN YIN XU), which manifests itself stiffness and pain in the limbs.

Therapy

Prognosis of the disease

TCM can appropriately complement MS treatment, especially if the disease is caught early and if it is used from the first stage – in that case, one can expect much better results, even a complete cure! If the patient is already in a wheelchair, then even improvement of the condition is very difficult, especially after a whole range of chemical drugs and corticosteroids… TCM never interferes with the treatment of autoimmunity, but always focuses on the overall condition of the person, that is, on their problems and the symptoms that afflict them.

In case of doubt with the choice of herbal products, we recommend TCM Test Tongue Analysis, which is evaluated by Dr. med. Petr Hoffmann and you will receive a recommendation (herbal products and foods) to your e-mail within 3 days.