Mind-Body Medicine for Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review

• Main Authors: Angela Senders, Helané Wahbeh, Rebecca Spain, Lynne Shinto
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hindawi Limited 2012-01-01
• Series: Autoimmune Diseases
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/567324

Background. Mind-body therapies are used to manage physical and psychological symptoms in many chronic health conditions. Objective. To assess the published evidence for using mind-body techniques for symptom management of multiple sclerosis. Methods. MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Clinical Trials Register were searched from inception to March 24, 2012. Eleven mind-body studies were reviewed (meditation, yoga, biofeedback, hypnosis, relaxation, and imagery). Results. Four high quality trials (yoga, mindfulness, relaxation, and biofeedback) were found helpful for a variety of MS symptoms. Conclusions. The evidence for mind-body medicine in MS is limited, yet mind-body therapies are relatively safe and may provide a nonpharmacological benefit for MS symptoms.