Users of MS alternative therapies on the rise

New research from the Scandinavian Journal of Public Health and Autoimmune Diseases has mapped the use of alternative treatment among multiple sclerosis patients. People with multiple sclerosis (MS) often use alternative treatments such as dietary supplements, acupuncture and herbal medicine to facilitate their lives. 

What they found is patients do not usually use alternative treatments for treating symptoms, but as a preventative and strengthening element. More than half of the respondents say that they either combine conventional and alternative medicine or only use alternative medicine.

The study should draw attention because, if people with chronic disease are better able to manage their lives, it can potentially save society large sums of money.

"There is a lot of talk about 'self-care competence', in other words patients helping themselves to get their lives to function. Here, many people with a chronic disease find they benefit from using alternative treatments, so we should not ignore this possibility," says the lead author.
Among MS patients using alternative treatments, there is a significantly bigger proportion of people with a high level of education compared to those who do not use alternative treatments. There is also a larger proportion of highly paid people and of younger women.