Fatigue is a significant symptom in people with multiple sclerosis.1 But a study published last year suggests that performing yoga might significantly reduce the tiredness that the disease can bring on.2
"I think physical activity by itself is probably beneficial for mental and physical well-being," explained Barry Oken, MD, a neurologist at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, and the study's lead investigator, in an interview.
Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of multiple sclerosis. It, like the disease's other symptoms, is caused by the destruction of myelin, the fatty sheath that surrounds and protects fragile nerve fibers in the central nervous system. The destruction of myelin leaves the nerve fibers exposed and unable to properly communicate with each other, leading to MS symptoms.3
Mind-Body Intervention Tested
The study, published in the journal Neurology, was begun "to determine the effect of yoga and of aerobic exercise on cognitive function, fatigue, mood, and quality of life in multiple sclerosis," wrote doctors at Oregon Health & Science University.
The investigators in this first randomized, controlled trial of yoga in people with MS found that while the intervention eased tiredness, it didn't have an effect on alertness, attention, or other measures of cognitive function.
The small trial enrolled nearly 60 people with clinically definite MS who were assigned at random to one of three treatment groups: a weekly yoga class along with home practice; a weekly exercise class without yoga, but with a stationary bicycle along with home exercise; or a "control" group that was added to a waiting list with no intervention given.
The yoga and exercise groups continued for a total of six months. "Outcome assessments performed at the beginning of the study] and at the end of the 6-month period included a battery of cognitive measures focused on attention, physiologic measures of alertness," and an anxiety, fatigue, and quality of life assessment.
None of the patients experienced any adverse symptoms related to the interventions.
'Significant Improvement' in Fatigue
While there were no changes in most of the measures analyzed in the study, the researchers learned that both yoga and exercise did improve fatigue and vitality as measured by a patient questionnaire. "Subjects with MS participating in either a 6-month yoga class or exercise class showed significant improvement in measures of fatigue compared to a waiting-list control group," the research team concluded. "There was no relative improvement of cognitive function in either of the intervention groups."
While the findings about yoga and exercise's effect on fatigue are optimistic, Oken tells Priority Healthcare that there hasn't been enough research yet to determine if people with MS need to be active for a minimum of six months to gain benefit.
Other Studies Echo Similar Findings
While there has been little medical science on the benefits of yoga for people with multiple sclerosis, a handful of studies have found that exercise can be beneficial.
In a trial released late last year, researchers found that weight training may be beneficial for people with the disease.4 The study, conducted by doctors at the University of Florida, found that eight weeks of supervised resistance training gave MS patients stronger muscles, better walking ability, and left them were fewer episodes of fatigue and disability.
The results prompted the National MS Society to sponsor an ongoing follow-up study of the benefits of strength training for people with the disease.
Earlier last year, researchers at Eastern Kentucky University tested whether a 2-month-long program of home-based resistance exercise could improve balance, power, and mobility in a group of people with MS.5 Nearly 40 people took part in the study, which found that compared to a group of people who maintained only their normal level of physical activity, those who underwent resistance training found the intervention significantly improved leg power in the individuals, though it had no effect on balance and mobility.
And in a 2002 study,6 researchers in Switzerland compared two groups of MS patients— one of which underwent aerobic exercise, and one of which underwent no intervention—to determine the benefits of exercise.
Among other things, the patients had improvements in their health perceptions, saw an increase in their level of general activity, and tended to be less fatigued. No changes were noticed in the group that had no aerobic exercise.
1. Multiple Sclerosis Foundation. MS Info. Available at: http://www.msfacts.org/info/info_symptoms.html. Accessed April 8, 2005.
2. Oken BS, Kishiyama S, Zajdel D et al. Randomized controlled trial of yoga and exercise in multiple sclerosis. Neurology 2004 Jun 8;62(11):2058-64.
3. National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Symptoms. Available at: http://www.nationalmssociety.org/Sourcebook-Symptoms.asp. Accessed April 8, 2005.
4. White LJ, McCoy SC, Castellano V et al. Resistance training improves strength and functional capacity in persons with multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler 2004 Dec;10(6):668-74.
5. DeBolt LS, McCubbin JA. The effects of home-based resistance exercise on balance, power, and mobility in adults in with multiple sclerosis. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2004 Feb;85(2):290-7.
6. Mostert S, Kesselring J. Effects of a short-term exercise training program on aerobic fitness, fatigue, health perception, and activity level of subjects with multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler 2002 Apr;8(2):161-8.
John Martin is a long-time health journalist and an editor for Priority Healthcare. His credits include coverage of health news for the website of Fox Television's The Health Network, and articles for the New York Post and other consumer and trade publications.
