MS remains the most common disabling disease among young adults. Eighty per cent of those diagnosed will be forced out of full-time work within 10 years.
The Jelinek program consists of a strict regimen of exercise, meditation, low-fat diet and sun exposure to combat the condition.
"If this was a drug, by now everyone would be on it," Professor Jelinek said.
Professor Jelinek devised his Overcoming MS (OMS) program after being diagnosed with MS himself in 1999.
It now has thousands of proponents worldwide and almost 20 years later, he remains symptom free.
As a doctor, Sam Gartland says he was initially sceptical about the program.
"Even though I'd read George [Jelinek's] book and the evidence seemed strong that this was largely a disease related to lifestyle factors, my training through medical school was very different," he said.
Facing early retirement from his job as an intensive care doctor, Dr Gartland travelled to a retreat in the Yarra Valley hosted by Professor Jelinek.
"One of the key things, I think for me, was looking at meditation and finding clarity in my mind about what I needed to do to address this illness," he said.
Dr Gartland began the OMS program in 2009 after experiencing three relapses in year and not working for 12 months.
By 2012 the lesions that threatened to cut short his career had disappeared.
As a result, one neurologist questioned whether he ever had the disease.
Like Professor Jelinek, Dr Gartland remains symptom free.
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