Nearly a hundred people with MS and supporters showed up at Eidsvold place outside Parliament on Friday 6 May to demonstrate against the health authorities' attitude to the so-called vascular theory (CCSVI) by MS. The theory is that the narrow veins leading blood from the brain to the heart causing MS symptoms. The treatment, performed at private clinics in several countries, is to block out the veins with balloon or stent.Somewhere between 60 and 100 Norwegian MS patients have treatment abroad.

Neither examination or treatment is being done today in the public health service in Norway or other Western countries. The attitude is that the theory must be proved before the examination or treatment can be started.

The protesters came from several parts of the country. Here a group of supporters from London. Several of the participants in the demonstration took the word and told of large symptom improvement after treatment abroad. This applied to bladder control, fatigue, speech and balance. But there were also reports of recurrence. Some planned to take the treatment again, others could not afford to do this. CCSVI treatment in Eastern Europe and Germany costs about 60 to 70,000 crowns.

The protesters demanded that the Norwegian politicians and health authorities are now opening their eyes to this treatment, and ensure that in the first place is possible for people with MS to study their friends in Norway. Secondly, it must be taken to ensure that the treatment itself can also be carried out in Norway.

MS Association of Norway was criticized for not having done enough to support its members in this issue. MS-union stance is that one should wait for the results of large, controlled CCSVI studies now underway around the world.

Note translated from:

http://www.ms.no/ms-og-samfunnet/ccsvi-demo/

MS-forbundet i Norge:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/MS-forbundet-i-Norge/189828081044593