Complementary therapies

Many people with MS use complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) as a way of relieving symptoms or improving wellbeing. These include yoga, touch therapies (eg reflexology, massage, aromatherapy), homoeopathy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, acupuncture, dietary changes, supplements, herbal remedies, relaxation and meditation techniques.

It is difficult to measure how effective a particular therapy is for MS, whether drug or non-drug, since MS varies so much from person to person, and from day to day. It is also hard to conduct trials that measure the effect of CAMs and much of the evidence for their use is anecdotal, ie based on individual experiences.

Many people with MS find that CAMs can help not only to ease some symptoms, but also to improve general wellbeing. When you may feel as though you have lost control of your own body, just knowing that you are doing something for yourself can be a positive step.

A word of caution:

There is a widespread belief that CAMs must be safe since they are 'natural' but this is not necessarily true. Always check that your practitioner is properly trained and has the appropriate qualifications for the therapy they are offering, and find out whether they are registered with their professional association or regulatory body if they have one. Also make sure that you are fully aware of the cost of any treatment and how long it is likely to last.

Remember that CAMs can interact with conventional therapies. For example, the popular herb St John's Wort, which is used to treat depression, can make some prescription medicines, including the contraceptive pill and some conventional antidepressants, work less well. So, it is a good idea to inform your doctor of your plans and to let your therapist know that you have MS. It's worth remembering too that no complementary therapy can currently offer a cure and to be wary of anyone who makes this claim.

More on complementary and alternative medicines

Medicinal cannabis

There is a growing body of evidence that medicinal cannabis can be useful for symptoms such as pain, spasticity and bladder problems. The status of cannabis in terms of prescription may be subject to change and we recommend that you contact us for our current factsheet on this.