Complementary and alternative therapies for treating multiple sclerosis symptoms: a systematic review
Moderate EvidenceIn Plain Language
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the central nervous system without a known cure. Thus the role of complementary and alternative therapies (CATs) for the management of symptoms lies in palliative care and this is borne out by the popularity of these treatments amongst MS sufferers. This review is aimed at determining whether this use is supported by evidence of effectiveness from rigorous clinical trials. Database literature searches were performed and papers were extracted in a pre-defined manner. Twelve randomized controlled trials were located that investigated a CAT for MS: nutritional therapy (4), massage (1), Feldenkrais bodywork (1), reflexology (1), magnetic field therapy (2), neural therapy (1) and psychological counselling (2). The evidence is not compelling for any of these therapies, with many trials suffering from significant methodological flaws. There is evidence to suggest some benefit of nutritional therapy for the physical symptoms of MS. Magnetic field therapy and neural therapy appear to have a short-term beneficial effect on the physical symptoms of MS. Massage/bodywork and psychological counselling seem to improve depression, anxiety and self-esteem. The effectiveness for other CATs is unproven at this time. In all the CATs examined further investigations are needed in the form of rigorous large-scale trials.
Key Findings: what this systematic review found
- ✓Only 12 randomized controlled trials investigating complementary and alternative therapies for MS symptoms were located across seven different treatment types, indicating limited research evidence in this area.
- ✓The evidence is not compelling for any of the complementary and alternative therapies reviewed, with many trials suffering from significant methodological flaws.
- ✓Nutritional therapy showed some evidence of benefit for the physical symptoms of MS, making it the most supported complementary therapy among those reviewed.
What This Means for You
If you're considering reflexology for MS symptoms, be aware that current research provides insufficient evidence to support its effectiveness, so it should not replace proven medical treatments.
What This Means for Practitioners
Reflexology for MS requires rigorous large-scale clinical trials to establish its safety and effectiveness; current evidence is too limited to make clinical claims about treating MS symptoms.
Common questions about this study
What does this study mean in practice?
If you're considering reflexology for MS symptoms, be aware that current research provides insufficient evidence to support its effectiveness, so it should not replace proven medical treatments.
What did this study find?
Only 12 randomized controlled trials investigating complementary and alternative therapies for MS symptoms were located across seven different treatment types, indicating limited research evidence in this area. The evidence is not compelling for any of the complementary and alternative therapies reviewed, with many trials suffering from significant methodological flaws. Nutritional therapy showed some evidence of benefit for the physical symptoms of MS, making it the most supported complementary therapy among those reviewed.
How strong is this evidence?
This is a systematic review and we rate its evidence moderate. It was published in Complementary therapies in medicine, a Q2 journal. This study is indexed here for context; it did not test reflexology itself.
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