CCSVI versus Venous Back Jets

Austrian physician, Dr. Alfons Schelling has spent most of his career studying MS. In contrast to Dr. Zamboni, Schelling believes that the supratentorial periventricular lesions that have a predilection for areas surrounding the larger veins in the brain, are caused by venous back jets into the brain. As opposed to stenosis, back jets make sense due to CCSVI when it comes to the MS lesions seen on brain scans.

Dr. Schelling currently maintains that one of the possible sources for the back jets comes from normal cardiorespiratory waves that are transmitted to the brain due to faulty valves in the jugular veins. In addition to Dr. Schelling’s theory, another possible source is trauma, such as whiplash injuries that cause violent back jets of venous blood and cerebrospinal fluid from the cord back into the brain in what is called reverse or inversion flows. Unlike the jugular veins, the vertebral veins and the veins of the brain have no valves to check or prevent back flows. Schelling’s theory makes far more sense in explaining MS lesions but fails to explain the ongoing nature of remissions and exacerbations in MS signs and symptoms.

In contrast to Dr. Schelling, it is my opinion that normal cardiorespiratory waves are not likely to be the source of injuries due to inversion flows except in rare cases. With this in mind, my investigative studies included bats, whales and giraffes because of their exposure to extreme inversion flows. It appears that humans and other mammals developed compensatory mechanisms to deal with normal inversion flows. I cover this in depth in my book. Furthermore, the theory of venous back jets into the brain due to incompetant valves in the jugular veins, likewise fails to explain the peculiar demographics associated with MS the same as CCSVI due to stenosis in jugular routes. In other words, if incompentant jugular valves were the cause, then it follows that people living in southern climates, Asians and Eskimos must have a lower incidence of incompetant valves to explain the lower incidence of MS. This is highly unlikely.

CCSVI due to stenosis, and venous back jets into the brain causing MS lesions are two important new theories regarding neurodegenerative diseases that need further research. Additionally, I would like to offer a third theory similar to CCSVI but not due to venous stenosis. Rather than questionable ultrasound studies, it is based on solid anthropological, pathological and comparative anatomical forensic evidence etched into the bones of the skull, as well as solid physiological evidence from upright Phase Contrast MR scans, and many anecdotal case studies. In addition, I would like to see epidemiological studies done. 

I will be discussing the above and more in future posts. For now, my theory has to do with micromechanical plastic strains and deformation of the upper cervical spine and base of the skull causing back pressure against the basement veins and sluggish outflow from the brain.