Woman loses limp following liberation therapy

By Monte Sonnenberg — Delhi News-Record

Tammy Gooding of Stoney Creek used to walk with a limp.

In fact, her mobility problems were so bad that her family sold a cottage up north because she could not get in and out of a boat that was needed to access it. The villain was multiple scleroris.

Today, the limp is gone and Gooding's health has improved. For that she credits the $15,000 she spent in December on liberation therapy in Mexico.

Gooding was raised on a tobacco farm in the Vittoria area as Tammy McElhone. Her career as a health-care professional in Hamilton was taking off when she made the heart-breaking decision in 2009 to go on long-term disability. MS had got the best of her.

"It's not depression and it's not anger," she said. "But I have a lot of frustration with my MS. I'm a very independent person, and when I can't even change a light bulb, I get frustrated."

Gooding is one of a growing number of people who has found relief through liberation therapy. Liberation therapy is an angioplasty technique pioneered by Italian doctor Paolo Zamboni. Zamboni has put forward the radical notion that MS is more of a vascular condition than a neurological one.

In early December, doctors at a liberation clinic in Mexico identified two significant blockages in veins in

Gooding's neck. The veins drain blood from her brain. Using angioplasty balloons, they corrected the blockages through dilation.

Several days after the therapy, Gooding's mobility had vastly improved. The limp disappeared and she has since taken on more dynamic routines in the gym. The fatigue that was her constant companion has lifted to the point where she can nearly log a full day of shopping.

Gooding's trip to Mexico cost $15,000. Of that, $10,500 was spent on her therapy.

"I'm extremely grateful I had the procedure done," she said. "I would have it done again. I would recommend that, if anyone has the money, they should do it. It's worth it. After all, it's just money. Everybody I know who has had the treatment has noticed significant changes."

The fact that liberation therapy is not available in Canada has angered many in the MS community. The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada and Canadian health officials give assurances that they are investigating the efficacy of the treatment. Some, however, say the process is defined by foot-dragging and stonewalling.

Steve Scheers of Delhi, Norfolk's superintendent of forests and cemeteries, had liberation therapy performed at a clinic in Michigan several weeks ago. He too was close to leaving his job but has since noticed a vast improvement in his symptoms.

Scheers is advocating for an accelerated review of liberation therapy in Canada. He will believe Canadian health authorities are serious once they invite vascular specialists to the table. Scheers said a number of parties are impeding the review because they are trying to protect their turf.

"There is a bigger story here," Scheers says.

MS is defined by a progressive deterioration of the myelin sheath that protects the human nervous system. Symptoms are wide-ranging and can be debilitating. These include reduced mobility, pain and extreme fatigue.

Monte Sonnenberg

519-426-3528 ext. 150

msonnenberg@bowesnet.com

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