What Role Might Trauma Play?
The role of trauma with Multiple Sclerosis is a controversial subject. It has been largely based on both anecdotal reports or information gathered based on patient memories. Controlled studies were few to none. A study, published in 1991 ((Sibley, W. A., et. al., Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, V54, pp 584-9) and conducted at the University of Arizona, concluded that except for electrical injuries, there was no evidence of a direct relationship between traumatic injury and a Multiple Sclerosis exacerbation. A second study, published in 1993 (Siva, A., et. al., Neurology, V43, pp 878-82), and conducted confirmed the Arizona study findings. Although both studies found more traumatic events among Multiple Sclerosis sufferers than in healthy people, the traumas were not precipitating factors in the disease.
