Controversial treatment creating bitterness in MS Society elections

The Multiple Sclerosis Society’s national board election next week is expected to become a battleground as members rally to shut out supporters of a controversial treatment. An e-mail circulated on Friday urged MS Society supporters to sign up to become members, which will give them voting rights.

And the e-mail asks them to use those votes to maintain the balance of the current board, effectively closing out candidates who want resources increased for research into chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency, a new diagnosis that suggests MS could be caused by iron blockages in the veins.

Based on this theory, Italian physician Paolo Zamboni has claimed some success with a procedure he developed known as the Liberation Treatment. Publicized in Canada last fall, it has given sufferers a ray of hope, and had them clamouring for the procedure that some people who tried it are saying has eliminated symptoms. It is not available in Canada but is approved some countries, including Bulgaria, Kuwait and Poland. Even proponents say the procedure has not been scientifically proven, and a clinical trial at the University of British Columbia is just gearing up. Read More on this topic