Written by Phil Balbo. For more information on personal injury cases, please contact the Maryland personal injury lawyers of Price Benowitz LLP for a free consultation. Please visit the Multiple Sclerosis Society website for more on possible MS treatments.
Multiple sclerosis is a progressive and debilitating disease, leading many who are afflicted to search and even undergo the latest treatment protocols that may offer any chance of success in thwarting the disease. The FDA has recently issued a stern warning against one such therapy known as ‘liberation therapy’: The controversial treatment has been highlighted by the drug safety agency as one with extreme risks; which means it has become a focus of personal injury attorneys. To date, deaths, strokes, damage to the treated vein, blood clots, cranial nerve damage, abdominal bleeding, and migration of stents in the body related to liberation therapy have been reported. As such, the FDA is recommending that these procedures be ceased pending further research and investigation.
Liberation therapy is used to treat chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) — a narrowing of veins in the neck and chest — believed by some to cause multiple sclerosis (MS) or worsen the disease. Balloon angioplasty or stents are used to widen narrowed veins in the chest and neck. However, to date, no reliable evidence showing a benefit to MS patients rom CCSVI treatment exist, and the FDA has said that any future scientific trails must be under the umbrella of FDA regulations for investigational devices. Until then, physicians performing this uncertain procedure did so at dangerous risk to their patients.
Affecting the brain and spinal cord/central nervous system, MS is caused by damage to the myelin sheath, the protective covering that surrounds nerve cells. The respective nerve damage is caused by inflammation, which occurs when the body’s own immune cells attack the nervous system. Researchers still have not pinpointed the precise causes of MS, but believe that it may be tied to a virus, genetic defect, or environmental factors. Nerve signals slow down or stop when the nerve covering is damaged. The disease affects women more than men, with the disorder most commonly presenting and diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40.
If you have lost a loved one to MS treatments, or have suffered yourself, you may have a right to monetary compensation for pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of income, related medical bills, and even rehabilitative therapy. An experienced Maryland medical injury attorney can evaluate your case and advise on possible claims.