The Study
The following information is from a national research project conducted
by Dr. Whited. Standardized self-reporting survey forms were sent
to
MCS support
groups throughout the United States to get a sampling from all regions
of the country.
The
Rating System
The participants were encouraged to list all MCS treatments that they
have undergone and rate how effective each treatment was for them.
They also rated if the treatment caused harm.
The Rating Scale
+3 = without symptoms
+2 = symptoms greatly improved
+1 = symptoms improved
0 = no benefit or harm
-1 = symptoms worsened
-2 = symptoms worsened lasting one year or longer after treatment was
stopped.
The
Treatment Categories
Treatment categories were designed for an overall view of efficacy. The
treatment categories are: Holistic (Alternative Medicine), Standard
Medical, Psychological, Avoidance, and Other.
THE
RESULTS
The
results are listed according to the number of responses in each category
beginning with the largest number of responses. The category of Psychological
Treatments had too small of a sampling (12) to
have a table for specific treatments and most of the participants
simply said "therapy" but the overall results are listed in
The Results Category table.
The
Results of Individualization of Treatments
When
asked if holistic treatments needed to be adjusted
for them, 100% of the participants
said yes.
When asked if standard medical treatments needed to be adjusted
for them, 100% of the participants said yes.
The
Results on Categories
Treatment Category
-2 Rating
-1 Rating
0 Rating
+1 Rating
+2 Rating
+3 Rating
Holistic Treatments
716 Responses
.5%
9%
10.5%
41%
37%
2%
Avoidance Treatment
464 Responses
0%
2%
.5%
16%
81%
.5%
Other Treatments
181 Responses
8%
8%
19%
22%
37%
6%
Standard
Medical Treatments
172
Responses
9%
32%
15%
18%
26%
0%
Psychological Treatments
12 Responses
33.4%
8.2%
0%
33.4%
25%
0%
The
Results on Holistic Treatments
Type of Treatment
-2 Rating
-1 Rating
0 Rating
+1 Rating
+2 Rating
+3 Rating
Diet Change
144 Responses
0%
0%
2%
43%
52%
3%
Nutritional
Supplements
132 Responses
0%
8%
10%
32%
50%
0%
Detoxification Treatments
104 Responses
0%
17%
8%
46%
19%
10%
Homeopathy
39 Responses
8%
18%
38%
28%
8%
0%
Acupuncture
34 Responses
0%
0%
23%
56%
21%
0%
Subtle-Body Energy Work
29 Responses
3%
0%
14%
45%
28%
10%
Herbal Treatments
23 Responses
0%
0%
21%
58%
17%
4%
Mind-Body
Treatments
20
Responses
0%
0%
0%
55%
20%
25%
The
Results on Avoidance Treatment
Type of Treatment
-2 Rating
-1 Rating
0 Rating
+1 Rating
+2 Rating
+3 Rating
Avoid Synthetic Chemicals
233 Responses
0%
1%
2%
6%
88%
3%
Relocation
108 Responses
0%
2%
0%
13%
85%
0%
Air-filtration Devices
25 Responses
0%
0%
0%
52%
48%
0%
The Results of Other Treatments
Type of Treatment
-2 Rating
-1 Rating
0 Rating
+1 Rating
+2 Rating
+3 Rating
Allergy Treatments
88 Responses
11%
11%
25%
21%
25%
7%
(Non-Standard) Treatments for MCS requiring an MD
29 Responses
0%
0%
35%
17%
43%
5%
Moderate Exercise
12 Responses
0%
0%
0%
25%
75%
0%
The
Results of Standard Medical Treatments
Type of Treatment
-2 Rating
-1 Rating
0 Rating
+1 Rating
+2 Rating
+3 Rating
Antidepressant Medication
41 Responses
15%
41%
10%
12%
22%
0%
Anti-Fungal Medication
36 Responses
8%
0%
53%
8%
31%
0%
Thyroid Replacement Medication
20 Responses
0%
40%
5%
15%
40%
0%
These
results are provided as informational only and are not intended
to substitute for any healthcare.