"From Dr Kelly:

 

When I first became a neurologist, we had very little that we could do to help people with most neurologic disorders but we were on the brink of some major breakthroughs and I looked forward to being a part of that.  

The most dramatic and gratifying change, in my view, has been our enhanced ability to control Multiple Sclerosis. This autoimmune disease affects young people at the prime of their life, typically in their late-20’s to 30’s.  

When I was a medical student at the University of Colorado, around 1985, I was assigned to follow a young woman with very aggressive Multiple Sclerosis.  She was having multiple attacks per year and all that we had to offer her was high doses of steroids during those exacerbations. We had nothing to actually treat the disease, but she and her husband discovered that her attacks slowed way down when she was pregnant.  They decided to have as many children, as close together, as possible.   I heard she had 5 or 6 children before the disease ultimately put her in a nursing home.  

A few years later, the first disease-modifying therapies came out.  They were the interferons.  They were only modestly helpful but for most patients they had terrible side effects.  They would often make them feel like they had the flu for days after each injection.  So you might be on a twice-weekly regimen but be bedridden with flu symptoms for 3-4 days per week.  And for this cost our patients only had about a 30% reduction in attacks and/or disability.  

Jump forward to 2025.  We now have very effective well tolerated medications and I can tell my newly diagnosed patients to plan on living a fulfilling productive life.  Attacks become so rare that they are almost unheard of.  The days of terrible side effects are largely gone.  In some cases, their treatment might consist of an IV medication just once every 6 months!  No shots, no pills to take, very low long-term risks, and patients love it.  

I often think back to the young lady I met as a medical student.  How different her life would have been if I had been able to offer her what we now have available for our MS patients.  Patients like her motivated me to open the Fairbanks Northern Neurology Multiple Sclerosis Clinic, which has been many years in the planning.  This is the only free-standing facility of its kind in Alaska that is dedicated to the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis.  

We are proud to be an affiliate of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers. Stay tuned as we announce multiple additional affiliations and certifications related to Multiple Sclerosis.  We are partnering with other Multiple Sclerosis centers across the United States.  We will be conducting original research and participating in national trials.  

I am particularly proud of our integration with Complementary and Alternative medicine.  Throughout my career as a neurologist I have developed a huge respect for non-traditional therapies such as meditation, massage, acupuncture and yoga.  Don’t be surprised if I refer you to a naturopath, a nutritionist or a chiropractor.  In my 34 years of experience I have found that the best outcomes are achieved when traditional medicine is combined with alternative therapies. 

Our infusion suite where we administer IV treatments is being transitioned into a Himalayan Salt Room (currently under construction).  To learn more about the purported benefits of Himalayan Salt follow this link:

 

https://www.webmd.com/balance/what-is-halotherapy

 

If you, a loved one, or a friend have or suspect you might have MS, please come and see me.  You will be cared for competently and compassionately. "