We love stories like this where a readily-available, low-cost therapy is critically examined for its use in multiple sclerosis. In this study, researchers found that Yoga helped fatigue associated with multiple sclerosis, but unfortunately did nothing for cognition or alertness.

"PORTLAND, Ore. -- Just six months of yoga significantly reduces fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis, but it has no effect on alertness and cognitive function, says a new Oregon Health & Science University study. The study, published June 8 in the journal Neurology, found that yoga is as good as a traditional aerobic exercise program in improving measures of fatigue, a common and potentially disabling symptom of MS. It was the first randomized, controlled trial of yoga in people with MS...

The MS study was not designed to determine the impact of yoga on the disease itself, said the study''s lead author, Barry Oken, M.D., professor of neurology and behavioral neuroscience in the OHSU School of Medicine. Rather, it was intended to determine the effect of yoga and aerobic exercise on cognitive function, fatigue, mood and quality of life among people with MS.

''There are some claims out there that yoga helps MS itself, that it can decrease the number of lesions'' in the brain caused by MS, said Oken, director of the Oregon Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Neurological Disorders (ORCCAMIND) at OHSU. ''I''m not sure that that''s not the case, because stress may have an impact on MS. But that was not what we were trying to show.''

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This study is the first to look at the correlation of fatigue and sleep disturbance in people with multiple sclerosis. It has a fairly sad result: people suffering from fatigure most often suffer from sleep disturbances. Which seems to us that it would create a vicious cycle of exhaustion during the day followed by non-restful sleep that night, followed by exhaustion during the day, ad nauseum

"BACKGROUND: Fatigue is experienced by most patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and often is profoundly debilitating. No large-scale studies to our knowledge have examined circadian rhythm abnormalities in MS patients or the relationship of fatigue to circadian rhythms...

CONCLUSION: There is a significant correlation between fatigue in MS patients and disrupted sleep or abnormal sleep cycles."

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This study conjectures that the fatigue experiencec by most MS''ers is a result of overall nerve damage in the brain.

"Extensive nerve fiber damage in the brains of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with the debilitating fatigue associated with the disease, according to an article in the February issue of The Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Our observations, combined with those of others, suggest that widespread axonal dysfunction is associated with fatigue in MS," the authors write. "It may be hypothesized that diffuse white matter [brain] disease translates into an increase in the central nervous system effort required by a patient with MS to perform the same activity as compared with a disease-free subject, with resultant fatigue."

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"If you have multiple sclerosis, you may be experiencing disabling fatigue, which is a common symptom.

Harvard Medical School offers these fatigue-relieving tips:

• Exercise regularly. This can improve your cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength, and help you feel more awake.
• During the warm months, exercise early in the morning or in the late evening, when it''s coolest.
• A low-fat diet rich in whole grains and fresh fruit and vegetables will help keep your energy level up.
• Don''t be shy to ask for help when you need it. Speak to your doctor about medication that may provide some relief. "