I think these examples highlight
several important points:
n Promising results in animal
studies or small human studies
are not definitive. They should
be viewed as preliminary and
used to guide further research
directions, but not to support
widespread use of a therapy.
n Commercial interests may
lead to inaccuracies, distor-
tions, and other types of unfair
reporting of scientific and
clinical evidence. This can be
true regardless of the size of the
commercial firm. Always look
for evidence-based information
from a source that is not com-
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mercially involved. Examples
include the FDA, the NIH, the
National MS Society and refer-
ences these agencies offer. (My
book is one of them.)
n Over time, there may be
significant changes in scientific
understanding of the relative
risks and benefits of a therapy.
Try to obtain the most recent
information.
n Reach out for support.
The failure of a current therapy
is a crisis, a blow to hope. Indi-
viduals and their family mem-
bers may need the help of others
to move forward again.
n First and last, talk with
your healthcare provider, who
knows your MS history—and
call the National MS Society
if you and your provider have
communication problems.
Dr. Allen Bowling is the medical
director of the Multiple Sclerosis
Service and director of the Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Service at the Colorado Neurological
Institute. He is also clinical associate professor of Neurology at the
University of Colorado. Additional
information about unconventional
medicine (CAM) may be found in
his book, Complementary and
Alternative Medicine and Multiple
Sclerosis (2nd edition, Demos Medical Publishing), and on his website,
NeurologyCare.net/cam.
