I thought I would start doing a new series of blog posts in the form of questions and answers. These are in the typical format used when doctors take tests. In fact, these are some of the practice test questions for my Integrative Medicine boards. Because these are practice questions, they come with explanations. These come from the quintessential text book (a huge and very heavy book) entitled “Integrative Medicine” by author David Rakel, 4th edition.
Becoming board certified in Integrative Medicine in now the same as a board certification in Cardiology, Neurology, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics etc… For any of these areas of specialization in medicine, specific training occurs but then you have to study for and pass a test. A very long time studying and a very long and difficult test.
I, personally, am board certified in 4 different medical specialties. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation often abbreviated PM&R. Functional Medicine. Integrative Medicine. Medical Acupuncture.
I hope that this format will be a fun, as well as educational, series of posts to stimulate those “little gray cells.”
So, lets go.
Which one of these statements about multiple Sclerosis (MS) is valid?
- MS predominantly affects men.
- MS is a complex disorder characterized by axonal injury, inflammation, and demyelination. The pathological hallmark of MS is the presence of demyelinated plaques in the brain and spinal cord on MRI.
- There are several disease-modifying agents that can cure patients with MS.
- There is strong evidence indicating that certain vaccinations are associated with a significant increased risk for developing MS.
That’s correct. #2. MS is a complex disorder characterized by axonal injury, inflammation, and demyelination. The pathological hallmark of MS is the presence of demyelinated plaques involving the periventricular white matter, optic nerves, brainstem, and cerebellum or spinal cord white matter. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common cause of chronic neurological disability in young adults. There is no cure for MS. Existing disease-modifying (medicines) have been shown to reduce relapse frequency and duration, the number of new or enlarging lesions, and retard (i.e. “slowdown”) the progression of disability.
A comment by me. Notice how the medicines available don’t stop the MS from getting worse and worse over time. That is because they don’t actually fix the reason, or the cause, of why someone gets MS in the first place. These causes, when they are not figured out and fixed, just kept making people worse and worse over time.
A little extra information about MS. If someone has had mononucleosis, “mono,” their risk of getting MS doubles! If someone has an allergy to latex, their risk of getting MS doubles. If someone has either had mono or has an allergy to latex, or BOTH, they really need to be tested to look for the presence of the factors that cause autoimmune disease and then get treated. It is always easier to prevent autoimmune disease than try and reverse it once it starts.
