Herbal Treatments for MS

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a degenerative disease of the central nervous system that affects the nervous system, brain, optic nerve and the spinal cord. Well over 380,000 people in the United States alone are affected. Although there are scores of prescription medications for the various symptoms of multiple sclerosis, there are almost as many herbal remedies that can keep symptoms at bay, making life just a bit more comfortable for the sufferer.

Herbal Nutrition

• According to the MS Research Center, including these herbal foods in your daily diet will help with MS symptoms: sesame seeds, flax seeds, alfalfa (good source of vitamin K), oats, pumpkin seeds, onion, garlic (both onion and garlic are anti-inflammatory and build immunity), almonds, sea kelp (excellent source of B vitamins and trace minerals), hemp oil, watercress, lettuce, asparagus and lemon (helps clean out toxins in the liver).

Herbal Supplements

• The manual "Prescription for Nutritional Healing" and the MS Research Center list these herbs as being effective in the treatment of various symptoms: evening primrose, agrimony, amrit kalash and ashwaganda (ayurvedic herbs), barberry, burdock, chamomile (helps with stress and sleep), cramp bark (especially good for muscle cramps), echinacea (builds immunity), elderflower, ginger, ginseng, goldenseal, gotu kola, hawthorn berry, huo ma ren (available through a certified herbalist), licorice, lobelia, milk thistle (detoxifier), myrrh (excellent anti-inflammatory), sage, skullcap (nerve tonic and helps to induce sleep), slippery elm, stevia, valerian, wood betony and yarrow. Goldenseal, lobelia and skullcap should not be taken internally for more than 1 week at a time.

Other Herbs to Consider

• Not all people have experienced relief from symptoms with these herbs, but they may be worth a try: lemon grass (aids in digestion), yucca, red clover, dandelion root and leaves, gingko biloba, peppermint, bee pollen and astralagus (builds and maintains immunity system).

Considerations

• There are numerous theories on the cause of MS and therefore many thoughts and theories on treatments. Malnutrition caused by the body's inability to absorb nutrients is certainly one to watch, as is the theory that MS may be an antoimmune disease. Whatever the cause, you should not treat your MS without the advice of a qualified care provider, and you should not seek to treat yourself with herbs without the knowledge and assistance of an herbalist.

Vitamin and Mineral Support

• Because nutrition plays such an important part of your overall health, you should consider vitamins and minerals that could be lacking in your diet because of your body's reduced ability to absorb them. Daily intake of coenzyme Q10, MSM, gamma-linolenic acid and vitamin B-complex are important for keeping your system as healthy as possible.