June 11, 2009

I thought this article was a good first-person account of one man who got autologous (his own) stem-cell treatment for his MS. It seems well-reasoned and not over-hyped and I like reading about what took place in his own words.

Here's a quick article reviewing some of the options for financial aid we've reported on before, but all in one place.

I'm writing this letter in an effort to spread the word about a treatment study being offered to people with MS-related chronic pain. The purpose of the study is to examine a treatment that we believe will help people with MS to manage their pain more effectively. This study is being conducted by Dr. Robert Kerns and Dr. John Otis and is being offered in Boston, MA and West Haven, CT.

Treatment will last approximately 12-15 weeks and will consist of both individual face-to-face sessions and phone sessions. Telephone sessions are offered to help reduce the burden of traveling to the Medical Center for appointments. Participants will be randomized to one of two treatment conditions; an education condition or a treatment condition. There are also a number of follow-up sessions to track progress over time. Overall, a person can earn up to $225 for participation, but of course these days that will just pay for gas.

I have included links below that will lead you to complete information about the study. If interested please contact me, Dr. John Otis at the email provided (john.otis@va.gov) or call me directly at (857)364-5740. Thank you for considering this and if you know of anyone who might be interested please spread the word!

Our paper on MS and pain is here.

Clinical Trial information here.