Guest guest Posted June 15, 2003 Report Share Posted June 15, 2003 , The potential for healing in MS is *not* a false hope. I've been browing Medline for some months, reading about neural plasticity/neuroplasticity and psychoneuroimmunology and I'm really excited! A few snippets (citations are available if you want 'em, just ask) The brain & spinal cord *can* heal if appropriate stimulus is provided, simple exercise being a very effective stimulus. The pro-inflammatory cytokines which are so strongly implicated in the MS disease process are proven to be stimulated by negative emotions and the immune system is proven to be depressed by negative emotions - so the power of positive thinking is certainly not a false hope. Other studies show that stress is a risk factor in formation of new MS plaques (or exacerbation of other autoimmune diseases such as CFS, RA and diabetes)...but the risk is less for folks who do not utilize emotion-based coping strategies. I've had MS for 12 years and I've been skipping through Medline regularly for 12 years, keeping up on what's happening in MS research...and I've never been as hopeful about the future as I am when I read studies such as these. We *do* have a measure of control - and a significant one - over MS...and it's no more complicated than keeping active both physically & mentally, and maintaining a positive attitude. Chris(tine) F (btw, I love your name... :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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