M.S. patients in Canada looking to get liberation treatment may no longer need to book flights to the U.S., Poland or India.
The federal government announced Wednesday it will fund clinical trials of the controversial procedure.
Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq's announcement was met with relief by many M.S. patients.
M.S. used to keep Jamie Chalmers off balance. He says that changed after liberation treatment in Rhode Island. Now he's thinking of getting a second round of treatment.
"If you unwind a garden hose it's going to take maybe two or three attempts to unwind that garden hose that's been tied up for, in my case, 40 years."
Chalmers says if people can get regular dialysis treatments, liberation for M.S. patients should not be any different.
In the past, if patients asked the government for the treatment in Canada, they'd receive a response just like Dawn Skinner did.
"'Health care in our publicly funded healthcare system must rely on the best available clinical evidence.' These are the exact same letters!" exclaims Skinner, reading a letter she received from the government.
The tone from Ottawa was quite different Wednesday.
"There is unanimous agreement" says Aglukkaq. "A clinical trial should proceed at the phase one and phase two level."
Susan St. John, executive director with the Waterloo M.S. Society, says the announcement has been thrilling. She adds the society plans to keep the momentum going.
"Our job at the M.S. society will be to maintain the pressure to ensure that this doesn't lag, that the phase one and phase two are done well. But also, in a timely fashion."
For Chalmers, the government's decision could mean he won't need to go out of the country for his next treatment. He says much credit is due to doctors who did their own research and put their reputations on the line in support of the procedure.
"Without them, this would have been buried, which is where a certain part of the medical establishment want it to be, because it's not a money generating procedure."
As for those who have completed liberation treatment abroad, Health Canada has not said whether or not they will reimburse a patient's treatment.
