Multiple Sclerosis: A Trigger Identified

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Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., D.A.C.B.N., M.S., CFMP

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a serious chronic neurological disorder in which the insulating cover of nerve cells (myelin sheathing) is destroyed. This is referred to as demyelination.

As of 2008, between 2 and 2.5 million people are affected globally

As the disease progresses, the nerves malfunction leading to an inflammatory cascade that damages the brain and spinal cord (CNS).

Four common symptoms of MS include:

Eye pain
Numbness, tingling, or a pins-and-needles sensation anywhere in the body that doesn't go away after two weeks
Swelling of the limbs or trunk
Intense itching sensation, especially in the neck area

There are four types of MS.

1: Relapsing-remitting MS- this is where a person will have a period of symptoms followed with a period  where there will be no symptoms.This is the most common type of MS.

Unfortunately, the next three are progressive and symptoms tend to not go away.

2: Primary progressive—this is associated with the disease being progressive with no remission.

3: Secondary progressive—this is associated with initially having remissions followed with progressive deterioration and more remissions.

4: Progressive relapsing—this is associated with an initial progressive onset where there were no remissions. However, later as the disease progresses a person may experience remissions.

Diagnosis

Unfortunately there are no specific antibody tests for MS. The disease is confirmed “only” after the person has neurological symptoms twice and lesions are found on an MRI. It is important to note that one episode of the common symptoms that resolve and never come back is considered negative for MS.

Triggering Theory

Scientists in the field of immunology have been searching for the potential “triggers” that cause the immune cells to attack the myelin sheathing.

Scientists have posed the question, “is something damaging the insulation of nerve cells”? The literature including functional medicine practitioners has supported a few triggers such as gluten, Epstein Barr, vitamin D deficiency, heavy metals toxicity and microbial pathogens.

Today we will spend a little time on the issue of infectious disease as a potential trigger of MS.

The medical research has identified elevated amounts of immunogobulins in 95 percent of MS patients. This suggests that the brain is aggressively battling an infection.

It is interesting to note that the pathogen most commonly involved in this fight infecting the brain is Chlamydia pneumonia.

Researchers from the Department of Neurology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine have found that 50% of C. pneumoniae are also made inside the central nervous system as well as the brain.

Further studies have revealed enthusiastically that the eradication of Chlamydia pneumonia via the antibiotic, minocycline helped improve the symptoms of rapidly worsening MS patients

References:

Contini C1, Seraceni S, Cultrera R, Castellazzi M, Granieri E, Fainardi E. Chlamydophila pneumoniae Infection and Its Role in Neurological Disorders. Interdiscip Perspect Infect Dis. 2010

Chen X1, Ma X, Jiang Y, Pi R, Liu Y, Ma L. The prospects of minocycline in multiple sclerosis. J Neuroimmunol. 2011 Jun;235(1-2)

Fainardi E1, Castellazzi M, Tamborino C, Seraceni S, Tola MR, Granieri E, Contini C. Chlamydia pneumoniae-specific intrathecal oligoclonal antibody response is predominantly detected in a subset of multiple sclerosis patients with progressive forms. J Neurovirol. 2009 Sep;15(5-6):425-33.

Szczucilski A1, Losy J. Infectious agents in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis. Przegl Epidemiol. 2006;60 Suppl 1:160-5.

Compliments of Functional Medicine University www.FunctionalMedicineUniversity.com

Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., DACBN, MS, CFMP

This article is about a powerful herb that has effectively reduced the negative impact of viral infections.

The herb I am referring to is called Artemisinin.

Artemisinin, extracted from Artemisia annua, was discovered in 1972 by Tu Youyou, who shared the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery.

In particular, it has been used for many years in Asia and Africa for the treatment of malaria and fever. And it's still considered a miracle "drug" for Malaria all around the world.

Research shows Artemisinin works in several ways against viral infections. Most importantly, it blocks viral entry into cells by inhibiting the ACE2 receptor. ACE2 receptors serve as the gateway for the entry of the virus inside the body. It also blocks viral replication inside the cell, which limits the ability of viruses to reproduce and multiply.

The herb has been investigated for its ability to have a favorable effect on immune responses to attacking, or invading, viruses.

Some common viruses Artemisinin might help prevent and/or treat include:

• Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (Oral HSV-1)
• Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 (Genital HSV-2)
• Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)

The product I recommend is Artemisinin Forte from the Australian company Mediherb.

Dr. Grisanti's Comments:

Although there is more to the treatment and management of viral infections, Artemisinin may be considered as part of your nutraceutical herbal protocol.

References:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36855145/
https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/47/6/804/325924?login=false
//www.functionalmedicineuniversity.com/virus-Artemisinin.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6036560/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0734975018300016
https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/47/6/804/325924
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.780257/full

** Always consult with a physician or healthcare practitioner with significant integrative or functional medicine training before starting any of the above recommendations.

You can find a qualified and certified functional medicine practitioner by going to: www.FunctionalMedicineDoctors.com

The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Grisanti and his functional medicine community. Dr. Grisanti encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. Visit www.FunctionalMedicineUniversity.com for more information on our training in functional medicine. Look for practitioners who have successfully completed the Functional Medicine University's Certification Program (CFMP) www.functionalmedicinedoctors.com. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Grisanti is required