Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises for People with Multiple Sclerosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Mind-Body Therapies

Background:

• Mind-body therapies, including Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE), show potential for managing symptoms in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS).
• Limited research exists on the specific benefits of TRE for PwMS, highlighting a need for further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of an eight-week TRE intervention in reducing fatigue (primary outcome) and other MS-related symptoms (secondary outcomes) in PwMS.
• To explore novel outcome measures, including sleep, hand motor function, gait, cognition, and mood, for future TRE research in MS.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 28 PwMS was conducted at the Danish MS Society.
• Participants were randomized to an eight-week TRE intervention group (daily home practice) or a control group (usual care).
• Primary outcome: Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS). Secondary outcomes: MS symptoms, stress, sleep, hand motor function, gait, cognition, and mood were measured using digital tools and activity trackers.

Main Results:

• Unadjusted analyses showed no significant differences in primary fatigue outcomes between groups.
• Adjusted analyses revealed significant improvements in MFIS total score (P = .03) and marginal significance in MFISphys score (P = .06) for the TRE group.
• The TRE intervention significantly reduced spasticity and pain, and improved performance on the 5 U-turn test.

Conclusions:

• Adjusted analyses indicate that TRE may significantly improve fatigue and other symptoms in people with MS.
• The study highlights the importance of bias adjustment in analyses when covariate imbalance is present.
• Further research is necessary to confirm the positive effects of TRE for managing MS symptoms.