Understanding Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Through a Chinese Medicine Lens
- yacuinfo
- Jun 19
- 2 min read
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by demyelination in the central nervous system. It most commonly affects young women between the ages of 20 and 49. According to the 2020 Atlas of MS report by the MS International Federation, approximately 2.8 million people worldwide are living with MS — a number that has steadily increased in recent decades.
The symptoms of MS vary depending on the location of brain lesions. Common clinical manifestations include severe fatigue, motor dysfunction, sensory disturbances, visual changes, difficulty with speech and swallowing, bladder and bowel dysfunction, and cognitive impairment.
In Western medicine, MS is typically managed with immunomodulatory therapies and corticosteroids to control symptoms. However, due to the complex and fluctuating nature of the disease — with varying symptom patterns and different MS types — patients often experience frustration and find themselves relying heavily on medications to prevent relapses.
Chinese Medicine Perspective on MS
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), MS is not viewed as a single disease entity. Instead, it reflects a pattern of disharmony that affects multiple Zang-Fu organs and meridian systems, diagnosed through the lens of syndrome differentiation (辨证论治, bian zheng lun zhi).
Classical Chinese medicine texts refer to several related patterns:
Wei Syndrome (痿证): Characterized by muscular atrophy and paralysis.
Wei Bi (痿痹): Refers to painful and spasmodic muscular dysfunction.
An Fei (喑痱): Muscle weakness with speech difficulties.
Gu Yao (骨摇): Ataxia and instability.
Shi Dan Hun Miao (視瞻昏渺): Visual disturbances.
Qing Mang (青盲): Optic atrophy or blindness.
Not all patients present with the full range of MS symptoms. Therefore, Chinese medicine emphasizes individualized treatment based on pattern identification. Common patterns include:
Constitutional weakness with Essence (Jing) deficiency
Deficiency of Defensive Qi (Wei Qi) with external invasion of wind, cold, and damp
Spleen and Stomach deficiency from improper diet
Liver and Kidney deficiency
The underlying pathogenesis often involves Spleen and Kidney Yang deficiency or Liver and Kidney Yin deficiency. Emotional stress, overwork (taxation), and external pathogenic invasions can also contribute to the development or exacerbation of MS symptoms.
From a meridian perspective, the Du Mai (Governing Vessel) and extraordinary meridians play a significant role in MS pathology, especially due to their influence over the brain, marrow, and spinal cord.
Reference
Lin, K.-C., Lee, C.-Y., & Liao, Y.-C. (2017). Case report on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). Journal of Integrated Chinese and Western Neurology, 10(1), (pp. 20–29)
National Multiple Sclerosis Society. (n.d.). Multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms. Retrieved June 19, 2025, from National Multiple Sclerosis Society website: https://www.nationalmssociety.org/understanding-ms/what-is-ms/ms-symptoms
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