Restricted Veins not Source of MS

American researchers say liberation therapy focuses on a symptom – not a cause – of multiple sclerosis.

American researchers have determined that a controversial treatment for multiple sclerosis might bring relief to some patients, but doesn't attack what causes the disease. “Liberation therapy” involves inserting a balloon in the patient's veins to clear blockage caused by chronic cerebral venous insufficiency (CCSVI), a condition that restricts blood flow to the brain that was thought to have been a cause of multiple sclerosis. But scientists at the University of Buffalo have found that only about half of MS patients – and a third of those without the disease – have CCSVI, meaning that the neurological disorder must come from another source. Provincial governments have recently set up trial programs to determine whether they should fund the procedure.