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 non-pharmacological benefit for MS symptoms.
Conclusions: The evidence for mind-body medicine in MS is limited, yet mind-body therapies are relatively safe and may provide a non-pharmacological benefit for MS symptoms.
Whilst many of you believe in the virtues of non-pharmaceutical approach, the simple fact as shown here, is that there is not enough good evidence to support things one way or another. Who will fund the studies and who will undertake them?
I think this type of thing gives pwople a feel good factor, which isn't a bad thing. IF studies proved soe benefit, what asre the implications? Medicalisation of therapies often seems to end up with a hike in the price to the end user. Witness simple implements adopted by Occupational Therapists that seem to sky rocket in proce.
ReplyDeleteAt the least, the nonpharmaceutical approaches would give a placebo effect, wouldn't they? That's not a bad thing either.
DeleteDepends on how much money you're willing to pay for a placebo effect I suppose.
DeleteAt least you don't get serious adverse effects with a poor outcome. On the other hand we MSers try a combination of CAMs, which will be most probably never be tested on a clinical trial.
DeleteThe title of the post is misleading - the study isn't about Alternative Medicine but about mind-body therapies and practices.
ReplyDeleteMeditation, yoga, biofeedback, hypnosis, relaxation, imagery, etc can help anybody to deal with the stresses and problems of life. MSers have to deal with the problems that come with MS in addition to the usual problems that everyone has. Hence they need such coping mechanisms even more than healthy people do.
MSers who stay peaceful & positive may or may not do better objectively, but at least they will be happier.