This is one of those cases where it's an understatement to say "better late than never".

Last week the Manitoba and Saskatchewan governments announced they would jointly fund clinical trials on the controversial MS liberation treatment.

Each province will provide $5 million for the joint trial. The trial is expected to have a large enough pool of patients so the treatment may be properly studied and evaluated.

Manitoba Health Minister Theresa Oswald said it may take a year or two but taking the first step with trials is a smart move.

The funding will allow both provinces to take a closer look at the MS Liberation treatment pioneered by Italian doctor Paolo Zamboni.

Dr. Zamboni developed it for wife, Elena, who suffers from multiple sclerosis. And Zamboni, a former vascular surgeon and professor at the University of Ferrara in Italy, began opening the veins in the necks of MS patients who suffered from blockages. He named the vein disorder CCSVI, or Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency.

Zamboni said preliminary studies showed a drop in the number of MS attacks in 65 patients who received the liberation treatment.

Forced To Seek Treatment Elsewhere

And since liberation was not available in Canada, MS patients have been forced to travel overseas to places like Poland and Bulgaria and pay for the treatment.

But with the recent announcement of clinical trials by Manitoba and Saskatchewan, that have long been advocated by MS sufferers, we will hopefully have some firm answers on the effectiveness of the treatment.

It has been frustrating for those sufferers looking for some relief to the often debilitating effects of multiple sclerosis. But hopefully with a formal clinical trial we can all learn more about the treatment and its effect on MS patients.

The trial should provide a greater understanding about the effectiveness of the treatment such as its overall safety and impact.

The MS liberation procedure may not be a cure-all for MS sufferers, but at the same time if it can improve or delay the effects of the disease and provide some relief, the funding allocated for the trials is money well spent.

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