Treatment of multiple sclerosis with the Zamboni method is a procedure in which some MS patients have high hopes. Is this method really that remarkable? Opinions of medical circles, despite the fact that the Zamboni method has been available for several years, are still divided. Some specialists see this technique as a great chance for patients with MS, others believe that this procedure should not be offered to patients at all.
Treatment of multiple sclerosis by the Zamboni methodis based on the assumption that multiple sclerosis (MS,sclerosis multiplex ) has its causes in outflow disorders venous blood from the brain structures. This theory is in opposition to the views of most authorities, among whom the most popular theory seems to be that in the course of MS there is a dysfunction of the immune system cells, which begin to attack the structures of the nervous system in patients.
Treatment of MS with Zamboni's method: therapy assumptions
At the end of the first decade of the 21st century, there were reports of further disorders that could be the cause of multiple sclerosis. Their author was Paolo Zamboni, a doctor from Italy. According to him, MS would occur as a result of disturbances in the outflow of venous blood from the structures of the brain. Such a state would lead to chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI). The causes of CCSVI Zamboni treated the insufficiency of the jugular veins, related to their stenosis or the abnormal function of the valves of these vessels, but why did an Italian physician link abnormalities in the outflow of venous blood from the brain to the occurrence of multiple sclerosis? Well, in the studies carried out by Zamboni it turned out that in most of the patients included in them diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, it was possible to establish the existence of CCSVI. In addition, according to Zamboni, patients can find excessive iron deposits in their brains, which would damage nerve cells. Vasoconstriction has not been a condition that doctors would not be able to deal with for a long time. After all, patients are offered, for example, treatments to widen the lumen of the coronary vessels in the heart (e.g. after a heart attack). It is similar in the case of venous vessels - they eatcan also be expanded thanks to the treatment methods. This is what the Zamboni method is all about treating multiple sclerosis. The technique proposed by the doctor is based on the introduction of a special balloon into the lumen of the narrowed vessel, it is also possible to attach a stent that widens it within the vein. The effect of such a procedure would be to normalize the outflow of blood from the brain, and thus eliminate the phenomena that, according to Zamboni, lead to the onset of MS.
Treatment of MS with Zamboni's method: controversy over the procedure
There is no doubt that Zamboni's theory of the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis differs significantly from the generally accepted hypotheses about the causes of this disease. However, the medical community did not reject these concepts, and even on the contrary - many doctors decided to take a closer look at the Zamboni method. Numerous studies have been carried out, it is worth mentioning here those that - in cooperation with other organizations - were conducted by the American National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The conclusions, which were obtained in various studies, can ultimately be described in one word - as controversial. It turns out that some researchers, like Zamboni, were able to detect the existence of cerebral blood flow disorders in patients with MS. Other authors, on the other hand, have not shown such an association - different studies have found no association of CCSVI with multiple sclerosis. The controversy also concerned the works of Zamboni himself - some doctors emphasized that the Italian physician conducted his analyzes on a small group of patients.
Treatment of MS with the Zamboni method: benefits or harms?
Research on the Zamboni method not only was, but still is, carried out. The preliminary results of their analyzes were recently announced - in March 2022 - by scientists from Canada. According to them, surgical treatment of CCSVI in patients with multiple sclerosis is of no benefit in the course of multiple sclerosis. In fact, any treatment for any condition - be it pharmacological or surgical - can have various side effects. This is the case in the case of pharmacotherapy of multiple sclerosis, as an example can be the side effects of interferon preparations, which may be local skin reactions at the sites of their administration or liver dysfunction. In the case of treating MS with the Zamboni method, some specialists point out that, even within a few months of the procedure, the risk that the patient will narrow again within the covered vein may be as high as almost 50%.complications may be involved, and theoretically patients could use any therapeutic option they prefer. This is not entirely the case - in the case of pharmacotherapy of multiple sclerosis, the risks associated with it are indeed known, but at the same time the effects of using such treatment are well known. In the case of Zamboni's treatment for MS, data from various studies are often contradictory. In such a situation, it would be rather difficult to recommend vein restoration to patients with multiple sclerosis (some neurologists even believe that doing so is simply unethical).
It is possible that undergoing the procedure may have a positive effect on the course of multiple sclerosis. Is it really so and whether the Zamboni method will become more widely available - today it is difficult to say. Further analyzes are needed to assess both the effectiveness of the procedure and its safety.
MS treatment - new drugs, new therapies
The progress in the treatment of multiple sclerosis, new drugs and therapies available for patients with MS says Dr. n. med. Barbara Zakrzewska-Pniewska, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Warsaw. The statement was recorded during the scientific conference "Physiotherapy for he alth".