Multiple sclerosis ( MS ) is one of the most debilitating and difficult conditions we have to treat and infact defies most conventional treatment. Natural treatments have been tried with varying results.

One of the main features of the disease is inflammation of the nerves and brain. The Glasgow Solution has been applied to this condition with some success in a number of cases.
A study from Norway on newly diagnosed patients with MS showed a 25%  improvement in symptoms when the omega balance was achieved.

I have been involved in the treatment of MS with natural supplements for several years and run the only private MS clinic in the UK. We have had considerable success in this most difficult of areas using omega-3 treatment and other natural supplements.
We have also become involved in the use of a new drug for MS, Low dose naltrexone (LDN). The action of this drug is as yet poorly understood but is popular with patients throughout the world. This is another example of information age medicine as the internet has been key to the exchange of knowledge of this treatment.

For many MS patients the internet has opened great new horizons for them which their disability cannot prevent. They can find out about new treatments and research them on line. I have no doubt that few would have heard of LDN or had the opportunity to try it were it not for the new information age.
One such site is www.ldnresearchtrust.org which is a registered charity dedicated to raising funds for ldn research. The nature of the drug is that it is unlikely to be profitable for the pharmaceutical industry to invest in so any research will be left up to private donations or academics. The ldn research trust produces a regular newsletter which is mainly due to the sterling work of an MS patient Linda Elsegood, who herself has  had a dramatic health improvement after taking LDN. I have been a regular contributor to the newsletter for several months and some of the articles can be accessed on this site.
It was the request of one of the patients who visits the ldn research trust web site that we produce a consensus of natural treatments which would benefit MS patients. Well over half of the MS patients I see are regularly taking supplements but very few are taking the best quality, correct dose or correct range. The list of useful supplements is quite extensive and the cost for many people is prohibitive not to mention the number of capsules and tablets that have to be taken.

I contacted MS and nutritional specialists all over the UK and Ireland to gauge their opinions as to the best supplements for the condition. After several months of discussion we agreed on a list of eight supplements –

1. Vit D 2,000 iu
2. Calcium 200mg
3. Magnesium 70mg
4. Selenium 35mcg
5. Zinc  50mg
6. Gingko Biloba 120mg
7. Pine Bark Extract 100mg
8. Chromium Polynicotinate 400mcg

This was by no means all that were suggested but these were considered the most important with research to support their use in MS. The cost of these for a monthly supply in the high street would be over £45 which is still very expensive for most patients.

In an ideal world we now have a simplified regime for any MS patient who wants to take natural treatments as part of their approach to the condition.

1. EPA –omega-3 dose as determined by the omega blood test.
2. Eight recommended nutrients
3. a multivitamin designed to complement both omega-3 and a multivitamin designed to compliment both omega 3 and reccommended nutrients.

We hope that we can help to make life simpler and better for MS patients throughout the world. We also hope to raise the profile of LDN and help unravel some of the mysteries of MS. Exciting times !