Fatigue Due to Multiple Sclerosis: A Comparison Between Persian Medicine and Conventional Medicine

Fatigue is one of the most debilitating symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), and its definite pathophysiology is unclear. Studies have suggested some correlates for it including dysfunction or atrophy in different parts of the brain. This narrative review study compares the viewpoint of conventional medicine and Persian medicine (PM) about fatigue due to MS and introduces the treatments used for this complaint in PM with an evidence-based approach. PM scholars have used the term I'ya equal to fatigue and stated that I'ya might be due to exertion or not, while the latter (spontaneous I'ya) can be prodromal of a disease. This pathologic fatigue can be seen in a wide variety of neurologic diseases, though it is the most common in MS patients. Fatigue in MS can be considered one of the equivalents of spontaneous I'ya. According to PM texts, neurotonic herbs like Ferula, Citrus medica, Asarum europaeum, Ficus carica, and Juglans regia may be beneficial in alleviating fatigue by brain reinforcement. Different pharmacological mechanisms have been introduced for these plants including antioxidant and/or anti-inflammatory activities. The medicinal plants can be assumed as a valuable source for discovering new medicines for fatigue in MS. Designing preclinical and clinical studies evaluating the effects of mentioned medicinal herbs in fatigue is proposed for obtaining more conclusive results.