Multiple Sclerosis from the Tibetan Medical Context

“MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS FROM THE TIBETAN MEDICAL CONTEXT”.

                                                                                    Dated: 28^th March 2006.

With my sincere prayers to the Medicine Buddha, the most enlightened Supreme Healer, I would like to talk briefly about Multiple sclerosis in relation to Tibetan Medicine. Though there is a great deal of information & treatments available in Tibetan Medicine regarding the Nervous system, we have not found anything specifically devoted to MS so far. However, this does not mean that there is no explanation & treatment against MS in Tibetan Medicine. I would like to stress again that we have been very successful in treating various forms of MS in its various stages, some of them with a total cure also.

 

Now what is MS in terms of modern medical understanding? Though I am not an expert in Modern Medicine, nor have any specialized knowledge in the field of MS for that matter, but I’ll give you a very simple explanation of MS with respect to what we understand about this chronic neurological disease. According to Modern system of Medicine, Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease of the Central Nervous System (CNS) – that’s the brain and spinal cord. Predominantly, it is a disease of the “white matter” in our brain cells & tissue. The white matter is made up of nerve fibres, which are responsible for transmitting communication signals both internally within the CNS and between the CNS and the nerves supplying rest of the body.

In people affected by MS, patches of damage called plaques or lesions appear in many areas of the nervous cells leading to the gradual damage of the myelin sheath, which normally covers & protects the nerves. It is analogous to the wear & tear of the plastic or rubber sheath, which covers the fine electrical wires. When the rubber cover is damaged, then the electrical transmission gets disrupted resulting into faulty or no current at all. Similarly, when this myelin sheath is damaged, the process of the conductivity of the nervous system gets disrupted leading to the dysfunction of the CNS. The nature of this disease is very unpredictable and variable. Depending on which areas of the CNS are affected and how badly they are damaged, the type and severity of symptoms can vary greatly.

 

In general, MS can be very serious disease, but it depends from individual to individual, & some people are affected much worse than others. People with MS can experience any of the following problems either fully or partially – numbness, tingling, pins and needles, muscle weakness, muscle spasms, cramps, pain, blindness, blurred or double vision, incontinence, urinary urgency or hesitancy, constipation, slurred speech, loss of sexual function, loss of balance, nausea, disabling fatigue, depression, short term memory problems, other forms of cognitive dysfunction, inability to swallow, inability to control breathing etc. Generally, the minority of the people with MS dies with an indirect result of the disease in its later stages. The majority of MS people will lie somewhere between these extremes. Adjustments have to be made, but most people with MS can live fulfilled and active lives.

 

TMS explains that there are two major channels in our body system, which forms the basis of our life. One channel runs upwards from the main aorta, which carries the lifeblood, & the other one comes from the brain downwards connecting with the spinal cord. The former is called Sog-rTsa Nagpo as it carries blood & the latter one called Sog-rTza Karpo as it carries life energy in the form of nerve impulses. They are called Sog-rtza as they carry life energy with them & form the basis of our very existence. The Sog –rtza karpo which comes from the brain is directly associated with the central nervous system.

 

Generally, like any other disease, the problems associated with the nervous system are also categorized into hot & cold disease, acute & chronic. They are also categorized into head, chest, & limbs as per their location, & rLung, mKris, Badkan & ‘dus-pa as per the predominance of Nyes-pa. The signs & symptoms, which are listed under the categories of Head & Chest location, are very similar to those associated with MS. In addition to the various presenting common symptoms, if one experiences some tremors, spasms, frequent yawning, thirstiness, & instability of one’s mind, it is of rLung type. If you experience lots of heat in the body, recurrent fevers, & more severe pain, then it is of mKrispa type. Coldness of the body, heaviness & swelling of the body parts without much pain indicates Badkan involvement.

 

Once you understand the nature of the Nyes-pa, then you can also change your diet & lifestyle accordingly. For example, MS with rLung should try to eat more nutritious food, lamb and beef, crushed bone soup, and heat producing soups and beverages. One should be mentally more positive, should try to enjoy the company of one’s near & dear ones. MKrispa MS should avoid eating hot and spicy, oily and fatty foods. One should avoid hatred and aggression; heavy and strenuous physical work; should enjoy good rest and relaxation in some cool environments. Badkan MS can try more heat generating foods & soups, fresh water fish, & should indulge in more exercise. In all the cases, it is very important to be more relaxed, cool and composed, more tolerant & positive in your approach. After all, our body system is nothing but consist of various networks of psychic channels, which carry subtle dynamic energies responsible for the life & breathe of our very existence. Any disturbances in these psychic energies because of our disturbed and aggrieved mind can alter this dynamic balance resulting into further progression of the disease. 

 

Therefore, without really getting frustrated with the onslaught of the disease, try to accept this MS as one’s own bad karmic influence because of which the suffering in this life is something natural. And taking the current suffering as part of the purification of your bad Karma, try to change your whole attitude towards the disease itself, yourself and your family members and friends. Take up the challenge help yourself more holistically to keep your mind & body in dynamic equilibrium for the body’s natural healing system to take place.

Most of the Tibetan Medicines are very balancing in nature. But one should have the guidance of a learned physician about the various medications & physical therapies in line with the shifting phase of the MS. This disease has a tendency to pass through many phases of remission & relapse. One should be well prepared to counteract these changing phases. In some cases of the MS, particularly with rLung & Badkan type, golden needle therapy, moxabustion & therapeutic massage are extremely helpful in controlling the progression of the disease. Also, certain healing meditation & yoga practice with the help of experienced Masters have proved beyond doubt that our body system has its innate healing energy capable of controlling the sufferings of any kind & in restoring the balance to affect a positive health & spirit.

 

With my prayers and best wishes.

Dr. Dorjee Rapten Neshar