Learning a mind-body technique called “mindfulness meditation” seems to help people with multiple sclerosis cope with the depression, fatigue, and anxiety associated with the disease, a new study indicates.
Researchers in Switzerland signed up 150 people with mild to moderate multiple sclerosis and randomly assigned them to receive usual types of care for the disease or to take part in an eight-week mindfulness meditation training course.
Patients in the training program focused on mental exercises that were aimed at developing non-judgmental awareness of the present moment, or mindfulness. Classes of 2.5 hours were held weekly, along with an all-day retreat and 40 minutes daily of homework assignments.
Meditation Technique Works
The researchers say people who took the meditation training managed to reduce fatigue, depression, and anxiety and report improvements in overall life quality, compared to people who received usual medical care. And the positive effects of the training, the researchers report, lasted for at least six months. (MORE)
Source: WebMD
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