Brain Tune Up! MS Program Benefits

This Plan is for You if You Suffer from MS and…

• If you are looking for more than a pill.
• If you are looking for someone with the right qualifications: A medical school graduate (M.D.) with experience in direct patient care, a state license to practice medicine, and certification by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (APBN).
• If you want a doctor who knows how to address the root causes of disease, not just treat the symptoms or manage the disease.
• If you want a doctor who has ability to integrate traditional medical care and all of its tools with the skills and mindset of functional medicine.
• If you want a doctor who makes your personalized care the ultimate goal.

Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis

Traditionally, the diagnosis of MS is made by MRI, spinal fluid examination, and possibly evoked potential testing. Once the diagnosis is established the conventional treatment focuses on “Disease-Modifying Therapy”. These treatments target the immune system to reduce the frequency of relapses, slow disability progression, and stabilize or improve the changes seen on MRI. In addition, the symptoms of MS such as pain, fatigue, bladder incontinence, or spasticity may also be treated with medication and therapy.

HOW ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS TRIGGER MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

Multiple sclerosis involves an immune-mediated process in which an abnormal response of the body’s immune system is directed against the central nervous system (CNS), which is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. Within the CNS, the immune system attacks myelin – the fatty substance that surrounds and insulates the nerve fibers – as well as the nerve fibers themselves. The damaged myelin forms scar tissue (sclerosis), which gives the disease its name. When any part of the myelin sheath or nerve fiber is damaged or destroyed, nerve impulses traveling to and from the brain and spinal cord are distorted or interrupted, producing a wide variety of symptoms. The disease is thought to be triggered in a genetically susceptible individual by a combination of one or more environmental factors.

Root Causes of Multiple Sclerosis

Functional medicine, by contrast, evaluates the root causes of chronic illness such as MS. A variety of imbalances have been implicated as triggers for multiple sclerosis. These include exposure to the Epsilon toxin produced by the bacteria Clostridum perfringens, accumulation of metals such as copper, cadmium, lead, and iron, and gradual depletion of magnesium, selenium, vitamins B2, B6, D, and essential fatty acids. Alterations in the gut microbiome have emerged more recently as an important factor. Abnormal levels of estrogen and testosterone, infection with the Epstein barr virus and Chlamydia pneuminiae all are potential contributors to the risk of multiple sclerosis. Because functional medicine is personalized medicine understanding why it is the individual patient developed multiple sclerosis begins with an examination of the Functional Medicine Timeline, The Functional Medicine Matrix, and the Therapeutic Lifestyle Factors (Sleep & Relaxation, Movement & Exercise, Nutrition, Stress, and Relationships). Functional Medicine Matrix, based on a scientific framework known as “systems biology,” allows the practitioner to evaluate imbalances at the cellular level. This helps sort out why the disease has occurred in the first place. By understanding each of these imbalances the person with MS is empowered to make changes to correct them. Each part of the Matrix is called a “node,” and there are 7 nodes on the Functional Medicine Matrix. You can read about them here: Assimilation, Defense & Repair, Energy, Biotransformation & Elimination, Structural Integrity, Transport, and Communication.