Question 14: Are there alternative therapies to slow down MS?
Answer: There has been research into alternative therapies and whether these help to slow down the progression of MS, although not in great amounts. Most revolve around Mindfulness, Yoga, Reflexology and Exercise. The studies looking into the first three therapies were found not to have any disease modifying effects however, they have been deemed as low-quality trials due to small participant numbers, therefore more research would need to be undertaken to evaluate this further.
In relation to exercise, there is strong evidence from many randomised controlled trials that exercise can improve MS symptoms including weakness, deconditioning and fatigue. The following article provides a good overview of this evidence and provides evidence-based recommendations for exercise and physical lifestyle activity across disability levels.
Professor Jenny Freeman mentioned an article during the webinar, that looked at the effects of combined resistance training and aerobic exercise on disease modification. This study concluded that this combination of exercise provided disease modifying effects. The article can be found by clicking the link below:
Multiple sclerosis and exercise - A disease-modifying intervention of mice or men?