This is in response to an article Jennifer Crossfield brought to my attention. Since my comments resulted in a speedy response , I thought some of you might be interested:
Christopher Maloney Naturopathic Doctor April 19, 2012:
You’ve got to love the name: “Liberation Treatment.” That was marketing genius. I’ve got a bit of an issue here. The doctor doesn’t just open up veins for MS patients. He rejects the idea that MS is an autoimmune disease. Based on?
I’ve written about MS before. It appears to have a definite connection to vitamin D deficiency, which acts in the body as an immune modulator. In a susceptible group of individuals, nerve inflammation results. Various viruses, including EBS, are implicated in worsening the condition. Nowhere does MS say to me: this is all due to venous blockages.
Dr. Paulo Zamboni is a vascular surgeon who’s wife has MS. As a vascular surgeon he tried what he knows and it seemed to help his wife’s symptoms.
So far, so good. But what is the evidence? Dr. Zamboni has great results, but no one else has been able to replicate them. So either go to Zamboni or consider doing something else. Other researchers have also been unable to document his findings of neck vein blockages.
What is a patient to do? Well, before having someone roto-rooter your veins, you might have your PCP order some EBS titers during times of worsening symptoms. When I did this with one patient, we found her thirty to fifty day worsening cycles matched exactly to the fluctuation of her viral titer. She was much more able to maintain function knowing what was making things worse. There are a few more non-toxic ideas at my website.
Related articles
Feds to fund clinical trial of controversial MS treatment in Canada (vancouversun.com)
Feds to fund clinical trial of controversial MS treatment in Canada (windsorstar.com)
Ottawa to fund clinical trial of controversial MS treatment in Canada (calgaryherald.com)
MS trial in Saskatchewan attracts nearly 700 patients (cbc.ca)
Nearly 700 Sask. patients apply to be in MS trial (cbc.ca)
Health minister tries to block bill backing controversial MS therapy (windsorstar.com)
CCSVI and the Politics of Medicine (randi.org)
Saskatchewan MLA touts controversial MS procedure (ctv.ca)
589 sign up for MS trials (cbc.ca)
MS patient advocates for better follow-up care (cbc.ca)
Saskatchewan’s MS follow-up care defended by clinic (cbc.ca)
Saskatchewan goes rogue on MS clinical trials (macleans.ca)
Sask. premier says MS patients can now apply to take part in U.S. clinical trial (canada.com)
Bill calls for national ‘liberation therapy’ strategy (ctv.ca)
RESPONSES:
What about the 30 000 estimated procedures around the world? Your article sounds very much like a neurolagists arguments. Do your research on the background of MS and you will learn that it originally was believed to be a vascular condition then suddenly it was an auto-immune disease. They have still not proven the auto-immune theory and the treatments for this theory don’t work. HOW CAN THEY? I’ve done my homework and I believe that this is the best way for me to proceed. It’s not perfect but it does work.
By: Warren Ruttle on April 20, 2012
at 12:50 am
[...] I wrote about Canada funding CCSVI treatments for Multiple Sclerosis, I figured people would be upset. Everyone with a chronic condition wants [...]
By: Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency (CCSVI) And Multiple Sclerosis. Should MS Patients Try It? « Alternative Holistic Health Answers on April 22, 2012
at 1:46 pm
Thanks for taking the time to write. I’ve looked more into the treatment. Zamboni is alone in claiming this treatment proves an entirely new theory for MS. What is more likely is that the treatment may be helpful with some of the symptoms of MS. Here’s the new post. http://alternativendhealth.wordpress.com/2012/04/22/chronic-cerebrospinal-venous-insufficiency-ccsvi-and-multiple-sclerosis-should-ms-patients-try-it/
By: Christopher Maloney, Naturopathic Doctor on April 22, 2012
at 1:50 pm
By: Linda Rousay April 22, 2012:
You need to research outside of your comfort zone. There are many doctors and clinics who aren’t basking in the World Wide Web limelight. They are seriously working on the never ending trials and studies that the MS Societies and politicians have insisted need to be done. How many people who have had the angioplasty procedure for CCSVI have you personally interviewed? How many medical records have you read?
The media took off like a rocket with “The Liberation Procedure" moniker. People with MS/CCSVI don’t use it.
Since you must consider yourself well informed about MS then you won’t have a problem understanding the status of a person with SPMS for 17 years. This person would be in a power chair due to muscle weakness that won’t allow her to wheel her own manual wheelchair anymore. She has severe cognitive problems, unable to keyboard, remember what day it is or that her best friend died six months ago. She can’t be left alone all day due to dysphagia and the real potential of choking to death when she eats. She can’t drive, her eyes no longer track and are always looking in a different direction. Because she has a neurogenic bladder, she has to self-cath daily. She stutters and her speech is slurred making it difficult for people to understand what she is trying to say. MS Hug causes panic attacks on a regular basis. (It’s a bit frightening to be unable to take a deep breath.)
Two years ago this woman was treated for CCSVI and is now asymptomatic for MS except for heat intolerance. Of course there is much more to recovery from CCSVI than a roto-rooter job. Many lifestyle changes need to be made, vitamin and mineral deficiencies addressed as well as proper aftercare. By the way, I am that woman and Dr. Zamboni was half a world away when I had angioplasty. There are doctors all over the world who treat CCSVI. His results have been replicated. That you are ignorant of the facts surrounding this condition and it’s treatment is obvious. You might want to “look” a bit more into “the treatment”.
By: mammananny on April 23, 2012
at 2:29 am
A very powerful story, and thank you for sharing it. I would like to think that it would work for everyone. In your case the treatment was very successful, but it’s the people who died of the procedure that I’d have to interview to get a balanced viewpoint. Lacking access to them, I am left with the compiled medical records and reports generated by medical experts. Thus far, a number of studies have been done looking for what Dr. Zamboni describes as the causative agent in MS patients. Some studies find it, and others do not. It is these findings that lead me to consider Dr. Zamboni’s treatment something that may be effective for symptom relief for a minority of patients. I am very happy that you were helped, but I cannot in good conscience recommend that patients who are currently in jobs with families to care for undergo the procedure before exploring other options. Here is my second response as a post: http://alternativendhealth.wordpress.com/2012/04/22/chronic-cerebrospinal-venous-insufficiency-ccsvi-and-multiple-sclerosis-should-ms-patients-try-it/
By: Christopher Maloney, Naturopathic Doctor on April 23, 2012
at 9:15 am
By Linda Rousay
The information you have accessed is faulty. This is the truth about deaths connected to angioplasty for CCSVI.
PML:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tysabri-PML-Progressive-Multifocal-Leukoencephalopathy-Deferno-Trust/179672108730515
Deaths from Tysabri:
http://chefarztfrau.de/?page_id=418
The truth about CCSVI related deaths:
https://www.facebook.com/notes/ccsvi-ontario/how-dangerous-is-the-treatment-for-ccsvi/318177211586523
I thought it might be helpful to you to know the truth and not what the drug companies spew to anyone who will listen. Apparently, the number of politicians and doctors is astronomical. My story is not a fluke or one of a few. If you are truly interested this is my story:
http://ccsvimammananny.blogspot.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/mammananny?feature=guide
Linda