New Studies Fail to Link CCSVI and MS

Source: MS Foundation's MSFYi  monthly newsletter -released 08-31-10 

Two new studies recently reported in the Annals of Neurology have cast doubt on the theory that a vascular condition known as chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) contributes to the development of MS. The Annals of Neurology is a journal published on behalf of the American Neurological Association.

Florian Doepp, M.D., and colleagues in Germany performed an extended extra-and trans-cranial color-coded sonography study on 56 people with MS (36 female; 20 male) and 20 control subjects (12 female; eight male). The analysis included extra-cranial venous blood volume flow (BVF), internal jugular vein (IJV) flow analysis during Valsalva maneuver (VM), as well as tests included in the CCSVI criteria.

Results showed that blood flow direction was normal in all participants, excluding one subject with relapsing-remitting MS. Furthermore, the research team noted that BVF in both groups were equal in the supine body position. In summary, the researchers determined that none of the study participants fulfilled more than one criterion for CCSVI.

A second study by researchers at Umeå University in Sweden also concluded that CCSVI does not contribute to the development of MS. The Swedish research team led by Peter Sundström, M.D., Ph.D., tested the vital component of the CCSVI theory - the obstructed IJV flow - in 21 people with MS and 20 healthy controls using magnetic resonance imaging with phase contrast.

The researchers found no significant differences between the MS group and control group relating to total IJV blood flow. "Our study found no support for using endovascular procedures such as angioplasty or stenting to treat MS patients," Dr. Sundström says.

***********************************************************

"Providing You with 'MS Views and News', is what we do"

Keep Informed and up-to-date with information concerning

 Multiple Sclerosis when registered at

the MS Views and News website.

(This will take 20-25 seconds and will empower you

 with informaton and learning)

Thank you for allowing me to help to keep you informed

****************************************************************

Disclaimer: MS Views and News, does not endorse any products or services found on this blog. It is up to you to seek advice from your healthcare provider. The intent of this blog is to provide information on various medical conditions, medications, treatments, and procedures for your personal knowledge and to keep you informed of current health-related issues. It is not intended to be complete or exhaustive, nor is it a substitute for the advice of your physician. Should you or your family members have any specific medical problem, seek medical care promptly.

****************************************************************

Treating a Chronic Illness

It is possible to heal your chronic illness! Time and time again, over and over, people prove this to be true. The problem is, it takes a LOT of work!


You have to spend countless hours researching and learning, wading through all the charlatans and snake oil salesmen, and then testing everything you think might work on yourself, which is usually an exhausting, time-consuming, and often an extremely frustrating and disappointing process. So what do we do? We go to doctors to simplify the process. After all, that’s what doctors are for, isn’t it? They’ve already done all that work and learned what will actually help us and what won’t, right?


Unfortunately, in most cases, the answer for someone with a chronic illness is NO.


Doctors are powerful because they have lots of information. In our culture, we revere doctors and elevate them to the status of magicians because they know how to use their information to determine what illnesses we have and how to treat them.

But the truth is, doctors are just detectives! They are detectives limited by the information they know and the information they choose to believe.

If you want to get healthy, you cannot give all your power up to your doctors. You need to go beyond the limitations of what your doctors are willing to believe to find the answers that will create dramatic shifts in your health.

But having a chronic illness usually means you need to give yourself more time to relax and heal, not ADD work and effort to the stress you’re already under!


So what do you do?


Karen Gordon knows about this conundrum (mysteries/unknowns) first-hand, she's been on this path herself for more than a decade. And because she's been struggling for so long to find the answers to make herself well, she's now made it her mission to help people like you heal. And not just heal, but heal FASTER than she did! How? By doing all of the legwork for you.

Karen has made it her life’s purpose to bring first-hand, expert opinions and cutting-edge information on Multiple Sclerosis, healing, and health directly to you, FOR FREE, so that you don’t have to spend years wasting your time on what doesn’t work and wading through the sea of voices to find the ones worth listening to.

On Wednesday, September 1st she will be launching a FREE 9-week interview series called MS Voices. 

Each weekly LIVE telecall interview will feature a key expert in the MS community sharing their extremely valuable health discoveries and offering crucial observations about healing that you cannot afford to miss. And, at the end of each call you’ll have the opportunity to ask questions yourself.

The first interview, on September 1st at 9PM EST, will be with Professor George Jelenik, author of Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis and founder of the blog www.overcomingmultiplesclerosis.com. 


 The weeks following will feature Marc Stecker (AKA Wheelchair Kamikaze), Dr. Terry Wahls, Stuart Schlossman, Ashton Embry, Scott Johnson, Dr. Stephen Sinatra, Devon White, and Ann Boroch. And, when you sign up, you'll immediately receive two FREE audio interviews with Dr. Bruce Lipton and Dr. Joseph Riggio.

For more information, go here: http://www.easywebautomation.com/app/?Clk=3891745"  - The MS Voices Interview Series

***********************************************************

"Providing You with 'MS Views and News', is what we do"

Keep Informed and up-to-date with information concerning

 Multiple Sclerosis when registered at

the MS Views and News website.

(This will take 20-25 seconds and will empower you

 with informaton and learning)

Thank you for allowing me to help to keep you informed
****************************************************************

Disclaimer: MS Views and News, does not endorse any products found on this blog. It is up to you to seek advice from your healthcare provider. The intent of this blog is to provide information on various medical conditions, medications, treatments, and procedures for your personal knowledge and to keep you informed of current health-related issues. It is not intended to be complete or exhaustive, nor is it a substitute for the advice of your physician. Should you or your family members have any specific medical problem, seek medical care promptly.

****************************************************************

Canada approves GW Pharma’s cannabis-based drug, "Sativex"

By Rachel Cooper - Telegraph.co-UK
Published: 5:36PM BST 31 Aug 2010

For a decade, GW has been developing Sativex ? a medicine derived from chemicals in cannabis, which have been shown to ease the muscle stiffness associated with multiple sclerosisPhoto: Reuters

Sativex, which is used to relieve muscle stiffness in MS patients, has been given the green light by health authorities in Canada several months earlier than expected.

The country had approved Sativex for use in neuropathic pain in 2005 – which marked the first time a cannabis-derived medicine won regulatory clearance – but authorities have now approved the drug for use in MS too.

The approval follows clearance in the UK in June and in Spain in July.

Getting the go-ahead in the UK marked a major step forward for Aim-listed GW, which had spent more than a decade developing the drug.

*

Share |

*

***********************************************************

"Providing You with 'MS Views and News', is what we do"

Keep Informed and up-to-date with information concerning

 Multiple Sclerosis when registered at

the MS Views and News website.

(This will take 20-25 seconds and will empower you

 with informaton and learning)

Thank you for allowing me to help to keep you informed

****************************************************************

Canada's Health Agencies Do Not Support Research on the Liberation Treatment for CCSVI

Click on each of the three different postings found here, to read more on this subject

Health agencies won't sanction national trials of controversial MS treatment
Ottawa Citizen Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:00 AM PDT
There will be no Canadawide clinical trials of a controversial treatment for Multiple Sclerosis because of the overwhelming lack of scientific evidence on the procedure's safety, the president of the Canadian Institute of Health Research said in Ottawa Tuesday

Experts urge rejection of MS therapy trial
CBC Saskatchewan Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:39 AM PDT
Canada should not fund a clinical trial of so-called liberation therapy for multiple sclerosis, an expert group has recommended.

No support for multiple sclerosis trial
CNews Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:49 AM PDT
OTTAWA - A key federal health research agency says there isn't enough evidence right now to support a clinical trial for the controversial Zamboni liberation treatment for multiple sclerosis.

Leave your opinion/comment here, letting others know your feelings on this subject

Research Study To Pinpoint Factors That May Contribute To Faster Progression to Secondary Progressive MS

Aug 30, 2010

In a study of over 5,000 people with MS, researchers pinpointed motor symptoms at onset (such as muscle stiffness known as spasticity) and male gender as factors associated with a faster progression from relapsing-remitting MS to secondary-progressive MS. Marcus Koch, MD (University Medical Centre Groningen, The Netherlands), Helen Tremlett, PhD (University of British Columbia) and colleagues report on the findings in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry (2010 Jul 16. [Epub ahead of print]). Researchers were funded by the National MS Society, the MS Society of Canada and others.

Click here to continue

.

An MSV&N Volunteer, asks you to help us partner with Macy's

MS Views and News needs you.  With little effort and a small donation you can reap the rewards of significant savings at Macy's anywhere in the country or online. Please contribute only $5 to MSVN (more is always welcome) and in return you will receive a ticket valid for up to 25% off a single item.  Discounts range from 10-20% on most items. Additionally you will be entered for a chance to win a $500 gift card.

Thank you in advance for your interest and participation.

Jill Molberger
Macy's Campaign Leader for MSV&N

SHOP for a CAUSE - Find THE MAGIC of Giving Back on Saturday October 16th, 2010.

It's Fast and Simple. Purchase a $5.00  Macy's Coupon from 'MS Views and News' and get up to a 20% discount from Macy's on October 16th.  The coupon will also allow you to ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A $500.00 Gift Card.

MS Views and News has partnered with Macy’s nationwide (USA) in a Shop for a Cause event. Macy’s has been sponsoring this event since 2006. 

For only a $5.00 donation to MSV&N you will receive one ticket to be used at any Macy’s department store, anywhere at all.  This coupon entitles you to shop at Macy’s onSaturday, October 16, 2010. Shop for a Cause tickets provide discount savings in most departments all day long. Shop for a Cause is special because you can save on most items throughout the store and online. Additionally you will be entered for an opportunity to win a $500 gift card. Your charitable donation to 'MS Views and News' (MSV&N) is tax deductible.

Kindly submit your $5.00 donation plus an additional $0.50 to cover postage and handling, for a total of $5.50, and you will be sent your saving coupon by mail.  All Macy’s tickets will be sent upon receipt of your contribution. 

Please mail your check or cash donation to: 
MS Views and News, Inc.

8669 SW 51st Street

Cooper City, Fl. 33328-4301

Credit card donations, including Master Card and Visa, will be accepted by email (see below) or telephone to Stuart Schlossman at 954-684-1683. Please be sure to provide a mailing address for any coupon which requires mailing. 

Feel free to contact  Jill Molberger (jebmol@aol.com) 

or the founder and president of MS Views and News, Stuart Schlossman (stuart@msviewsandnews.org) with any questions.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

JK Rowling gives £10m for Edinburgh MS centre

August 31, 2010

Author JK Rowling has donated £10m to the University of Edinburgh to set up a multiple sclerosis research clinic.

The Harry Potter writer, whose mother Anne had the disease and died aged 45, said the funds were to help attract top researchers to seek a cure for MS.

The Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic will aim to put patients at the heart of the research process.

Rowling stood down as patron of the MS Society Scotland last year saying the charity was split by internal rows.

Work at the new clinic will also focus on other degenerative neurological conditions, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease and Motor Neurone Disease.

Multiple sclerosis affects about 100,000 people in the UK, while Scotland has one of the highest rates of MS in the world, with some 10,500 people with the condition.

Ms Rowling said: "I cannot think of anything more important, or of more lasting value, than to help the university attract world-class minds in the field of neuroregeneration, to build on its long and illustrious history of medical research and, ultimately, to seek a cure for a very Scottish disease."

Continue reading Rowling's story

***********************************************************

"Providing You with 'MS Views and News', is what we do"

Keep Informed and up-to-date with information concerning

 Multiple Sclerosis when registered at

the MS Views and News website.

(This will take 20-25 seconds and will empower you

 with informaton and learning)

Thank you for allowing me to help to keep you informed

****************************************************************

MRI-detected brain lesions more common in spring, summer, study finds

MS now known to change with the seasons

By Serena Gordon - HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Aug. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Multiple sclerosis may be more active in the spring and summer months, new research shows.

In a study using MRI scans to detect brain lesions tied to MS, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston found that new lesions occurred two to three times more often in the spring and summer compared to colder times of the year.

"We found significantly increased levels of disease activity, as defined by new T2 lesion occurrence, during the spring and summer seasons," the study authors wrote in the Aug. 31 issue of Neurology.

About 400,000 people in the United States have MS, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS), and as many as 2.1 million people may be affected by the illness worldwide.

The exact cause of MS is unknown, but it is believed to be an autoimmune disease. That means the body's immune system mistakenly turns on itself and damages or destroys healthy cells instead of diseased ones. Both genetic and environmental factors are believed to play a role in the development of the disease. Environmental factors that have been implicated include geography and vitamin D, a nutrient that is primarily manufactured by the skin when it comes into contact with sunlight.

In general, more cases of MS occur the farther you get from the equator, according to the NMSS. People with lower levels of vitamin D may also be more at heightened risk of developing MS.

The current study included 939 brain scans from 44 people with MS from the Boston area. At the time of the study (1991 through 1993), the volunteers weren't receiving any treatment for MS. Each person had an average of 22 scans during the study period.

CONTINUE READING

***********************************************************

"Providing You with 'MS Views and News', is what we do"

Keep Informed and up-to-date with information concerning

 Multiple Sclerosis when registered at

the MS Views and News website.

(This will take 20-25 seconds and will empower you

 with informaton and learning)

Thank you for allowing me to help to keep you informed

****************************************************************

Rehab My Way Exercises - By Cherie C. Binns RN BS MSCN

Rehab My Way Exercises

By Cherie C. Binns RN BS MSCN

Water exercise seems to have a very positive impact on this aging MSer and I can feel energy and strength return to a body that has almost forgotten how that feels.

My daily workout as of January 2008:   (30-35 minutes)  As with any exercise routine, remember to breathe fully and normally so your muscles are getting needed oxygen as they move in ways that may be foreign to them.

Warm up

• Sit on seat in spa and move with the water by circling arms and legs, rolling ankles and shoulders, neck side to side in slow gentle motions.

Exercise Routine

• Pull-ups on the two safety rails at right angles to my seat.   (I started with 5 and am now up to 100+)
• Hamstring stretches.  Legs in a ‘V” as broadly stretched as possible, toes pointed, lean over one for 20-30 seconds and then the other.  5 sets of these.   (started out with one)
• Glut (butt) stretch:   Rest ankle on opposite knee.   Push down on knee of top leg while gently lifting ankle with other knee till you feel a stretch across the buttocks.   Hold 20-30 seconds and repeat on the other side.
• Torso stretch:   While holding the safety rails, keep upper body straight and twist at waist with upper leg bent towards chest and lower leg extended fully and slightly behind the body. Start out with one to each side and slowly add more as your body accommodates..
• Quad stretch:   Pull foot behind body, grab ankle and apply pressure toward back till a solid stretch is felt in upper thigh.   Hold 20-30 seconds.   Repeat on other side.   Start out with one per leg and advance as tolerated.
• Calf Stretch:   With one leg extended behind you and foot flat on floor of pool, lean forward till the entire lower leg feels stretched.   Hold 20-30 seconds and repeat on other leg.   Start with one per leg and work up as tolerated.

Pilates Moves

• Sit with back flat against the side of the pool, knees bent.   Pilates band with handles is through the lower arm of the safety rail.   Keeping arms straight, pull arms to just behind and beside waist and hold stretch for 20 seconds.   Release and repeat.  After your targeted number of these (3-5 at the beginning) turn your hand over and repeat the exercise.   It works the muscles on the opposite side of the arm. 
• Sit on a bench under water sideways to the pool wall.   Take about 18-22” of tubing with a handle on the end and hold it under your hand on the safety rail.   Place the foot of your outside leg in the hand hold and move leg sideways as far as you can , keeping knee straight.   Hold 20-30 seconds, repeat until you have met your target stretches (start with 2 or three work up as tolerated.)  I now am doing 40-50 of these daily on each leg.
• Turn body 90 degrees so you are near the other safety rail with the other leg on the outside and repeat this exercise on the remaining leg.
• Pilates tubing or exercise bands can be wrapped around calves or thighs and resistance placed on muscles by spreading legs as you maintain the tension.   Hold each move for at least 10-15 seconds.  Remember not to overdo when you start.   Add one or two or even 5 (but no more) reps every few days as you become comfortable with the routine.

Cool Down

• Face down , cradle your head and face on folded arms on the highest seat or edge of pool and flutter kick for several seconds to several minutes.
• Sit securely in one of the corner seats in the pool and flutter kick or bicycle for several seconds to several minutes.

Be sure to drink a full 8 ounces of water for every 10 minutes of exercise to replenish lost fluid and flush the system of toxins released as you have exercised.  This intake should be in the hour following your routine.

Water Temperature

In the summer when it is over 75 degrees outside or in the room in which I am working, I keep the water in the spa set between 83 and 86 degrees.   In the winter when the room temperature is in the 50s or 60s, the water temperature is kept between 90 and 92.   Remember, the benefit of working out in the water with MS is that it does not raise your core temperature, thereby causing MS symptoms to worsen.   You can work longer and harder without becoming over heated.   And the use of Pilates tubing or Exercise bands for resistance helps to build muscle strength in the water where weights would be less effective.

Many chapters of the NMSS (National Multiple Sclerosis Society) offer fitness scholarships to people with Multiple Sclerosis (PWMS).  Check with your local chapter or dial 1-800-FIGHTMS to find out more.   If your Dr. has written an order for water therapy with Multiple Sclerosis as the diagnosis, this may help to get funding help.   It also helped us to put a small cool pool (a 7’ Jacuzzi) in our home and get a tax deduction to the extent allowed by IRS guidelines.  The investment changed this life forever!

***********************************************************

"Providing You with 'MS Views and News', is what we do"

Keep Informed and up-to-date with information concerning

 Multiple Sclerosis when registered at

the MS Views and News website.

(This will take 20-25 seconds and will empower you

 with informaton and learning)

Thank you for allowing me to help to keep you informed

****************************************************************