New study shows audio therapeutic hypnosis and mindfulness exercises can reduce fatigue in people with MS

Fatigue is a common problem for people with multiple sclerosis. A new study led by researchers in the University of Washington Department of Rehabilitation Medicine suggests that listening to audio recordings of therapeutic hypnosis or mindfulness meditation exercises may help reduce fatigue in people living with multiple sclerosis (MS).

The randomized controlled study included 333 participants with MS and fatigue. Participants were assigned to one of three groups: those who received access to audio recordings of therapeutic hypnosis sessions, those who received recordings of mindfulness meditation exercises, and those who received no recordings (treatment as usual). After four weeks, participants in both audio groups reported significantly greater reductions in fatigue impact, sleep disturbance, and depressive symptoms than those in the control group. These benefits were sustained at follow-up assessments 16 and 28 weeks later. No serious adverse events were reported.

This research shows that easily accessible, low-cost digital interventions may be helpful for managing MS-related fatigue.

The research was conducted by Professor Mark P. Jensen, PhD; Professor Dawn M. Ehde, PhD; Professor Kevin N. Alschuler, PhD; and Research Coordinator Susan Robles, along with colleagues from the University of Washington and other institutions.

The study, “Hypnosis and mindfulness audio recordings for reducing fatigue in individuals with multiple sclerosis: A randomized controlled study”, is available online in the journal Multiple Sclerosis.