#ClinicSpeak: Are you a ruminator or worrier?

Are you using mindfulness to manage your MS symptoms? #ClinicSpeak #MSBlog

What is mindfulness? It is a psychological process that brings one's attention to the internal and external experiences occurring in the present moment, which can be developed through the practice of meditation. Mindfulness is a significant element of Buddhist traditions. The practice of mindfulness is strongly correlated with well-being and perceived health. Mindfulness is an anecdote to rumination and worry, which both contribute to mental illness, in particular depression and anxiety. Mindfulness-based interventions are effective in the reduction of both rumination and worry. The systematic review below summarises that mindfulness also helps with MS-related fatigue. 

If any of you have had positive experiences with mindfulness can you please share them with us? Thanks


Ulrichsen et al. Clinical Utility of Mindfulness Training in the Treatment of Fatigue After Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury and Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-analysis. Front Psychol. 2016 Jun 23;7:912. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00912. eCollection 2016.

BACKGROUND: Fatigue is a common symptom following neurological illnesses and injuries, and is rated as one of the most debilitating sequela in conditions such as stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and multiple sclerosis (MS). Yet effective treatments are lacking, suggesting a pressing need for a better understanding of its etiology and mechanisms that may alleviate the symptoms. Recently mindfulness-based interventions have demonstrated promising results for fatigue symptom relief.


OBJECTIVE: Investigate the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions for fatigue across neurological conditions and acquired brain injuries.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Systematic literature searches were conducted in PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, and PsycINFO. We included randomized controlled trials applying mindfulness-based interventions in patients with neurological conditions or acquired brain injuries. Four studies (N = 257) were retained for meta-analysis. The studies included patients diagnosed with MS, TBI, and stroke.

RESULTS: The estimated effect size for the total sample was -0.37 (95% CI: -0.58, -0.17).


CONCLUSION: The results indicate that mindfulness-based interventions may relieve fatigue in neurological conditions such as stroke, TBI, and MS. However, the effect size is moderate, and further research is needed in order to determine the effect and improve our understanding of how mindfulness-based interventions affect fatigue symptom perception in patients with neurological conditions.

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