Objective To explore effects of traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） on relapse and disability in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis（RRMS）. Methods Telephone follow-ups were conducted on patients with RRMS admitted in the outpatient of encephalopathy

Dongzhimen Hospital

Beijing University of Chinese Medicine from January 2011 to December 2018. The survey was conducted by using a structured "Multiple Sclerosis Outpatient Telephone Follow-up Form"

which included general information

diagnosis

disease information

comorbidities

personal history

medication information

degree of disability

etc. Taking the recurrence rate and degree of disability as dependent variables

logistic regression analysis was used to explore the effects of monthly usage rate of Chinese materia medica on relapse and disability. Results A total of 50 RRMS patients were interviewed by telephone follow-ups. The results of logistic regression showed that there was a strong correlation between repeated symptoms and high relapse rate（OR=13.51）. And it was found that motor disturbance at first onset（OR=112.73） and residual symptoms were risk factors of disability（OR=10.91）. Meanwhile the monthly usage rate of Chinese materia medica was a protective factor of disability（OR=0.03）. Conclusion High monthly usage rate of Chinese materia medica was a potential protective factor of disability in RRMS. Patients treated with Chinese materia medica for more than 1 week per month have lower risk of disability.