Multiple Sclerosis

DEFINITION: A central nervous system condition in which small plaques appear in the white matter (conducting parts) of the brain and spinal cord, interfering with nerve conduction. Resultant effects may be motor, sensory and/or cognitive/emotional. BENEFICIAL POSES: Restorative yoga. EXPLANATION: There are basically two types of MS: 1. Relapsing and Remitting, in which there are intermittently greater periods of symptoms and signs, followed by periods of relatively less involvement. The remitting phase may leave people more disabled than they need to be, as an advancing army leaves famine in its wake. Yoga can remediate that disability quite well. 2. Progressive, in which there is an irregular but consistent worsening of symptoms and signs. Yoga is shown to be of value in fighting the fatigue that is quite disabling in this form of MS. REFERENCE: “Randomized controlled trial of yoga and exercise in multiple sclerosis. Oken BS, Kishiyama S, Zajdel D, Bourdette D, Carlsen J, Haas M, Hugos C, Kraemer DF, Lawrence J, Mass M. Neurology. 2004 Jun 8;62(11):2058-64. Fishman, L and Small, E. Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis. Demos Medical Publishing, New York 2007.