ABSTRACT
Despite recent therapeutic advances, multiple sclerosis (MS) remains a chronic disabling disease with no cure. Recent national surveys have demonstrated the wide spread use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among the general population in the USA, and people with a variety of chronic illnesses are more likely to use CAM than the general population [1,2] Therefore, it is not surprising that many MS patients explore CAM therapies. Neurologists have long recognized that many MS patients use alternative therapies but generally have taken little interest in these therapies. Patients and neurologists frequently adopt a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy about alternative therapies. Neurologists often are very negative about the use of alternative therapies, mainly for two reasons. First, they cite the lack of scientific evidence establishing efficacy for various CAM therapies. Second, they focus on highly publicized therapies that are expensive, seemingly bizarre, or even dangerous (such as replacement of amalgam dental fillings, magnet therapy, and bee stings) as being representative of CAM therapies and want to protect their patients from pointless expenses and risks.
