Light therapy measurably eased multiple sclerosis fatigue in a Medical University of Vienna study. 26 patients who used it for 14 days showed a significant benefit. Fatigue hits nearly everyone with MS, often from the early stages, and it is hard to manage.
Multiple sclerosis is a complex autoimmune disease of the brain. It causes a real decline in mental abilities. Fatigue is one of the most common signs early on. Sadly, fatigue is also hard to manage. But a new study by the Medical University of Vienna shows that light therapy may work well for fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis.
Multiple sclerosis is a complex brain disease. It happens when the body’s immune system attacks brain cells. Researchers are not sure why it happens or what causes it. It may come from genes, the environment, exposure to certain toxins, and so on.
It is a worsening condition that affects about 300,000 to 400,000 individuals in the US. Despite all the progress in medicine, treatment still falls short. Doctors can slow it down but cannot cure it. The good news is that the disease acts very differently from person to person. Many people can expect long periods of calm (remission) with drug therapy. But in a small number of cases, it keeps getting worse fairly fast.
Symptoms also vary a lot. It causes mental decline in everyone, along with vision problems, muscle spasms, trouble thinking, sexual problems, bowel problems, speech problems, and more. So multiple sclerosis treatment aims not just to slow the disease but also to ease the problems it causes. One symptom stands out. It shows up in every patient diagnosed with multiple sclerosis: fatigue. Most people with multiple sclerosis report severe fatigue. Fatigue in multiple sclerosis is crushing.
A few drugs, vitamins, supplements, and lifestyle changes may help reduce fatigue. But none of them is perfect. What works for one person may not work for another. And fatigue is always hard to manage. So doctors keep looking for new ways to treat it. Since every multiple sclerosis patient has fatigue, it needs constant effort. That is why safer options are so important. Drug-free options are usually safer, so doctors are exploring them. Fatigue is also showing up in many other illnesses, which makes this research even more needed.
A new study was published in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal – Experimental, Translational and Clinical, by researchers from the Medical University of Vienna. It describes a simple, easy-to-get way to manage fatigue in multiple sclerosis. They found that light therapy helps. Using light therapy for 14 days brought significant, measurable benefits in a small group of 26 patients. These findings are very encouraging, because this therapy is easy and safe to provide.
Light therapy has drawn more and more attention in recent years. Researchers see that people spend more hours in dim places, away from direct sunlight. Enough light can change how the brain works. It helps set the body clock (circadian rhythm), improves sleep, eases depression, and can even fight fatigue. The study enrolled patients who did not have sleep disorders like sleep apnea or periodic leg movements.
In the study, patients were exposed to 10,000 lux brightness. A control group was exposed to red light of less than 300 lux. Those exposed to 10,000 lux reported much less fatigue. Those exposed to dim red light did not get that benefit.
These findings are very encouraging. They show that a simple, easy-to-get drug-free option might work well for fatigue in multiple sclerosis. Of course, more studies are needed to define light therapy’s role in multiple sclerosis. It is also worth testing whether light therapy can ease fatigue from other mental health issues.
Finally, it is also important to see if light therapy can change the course of the disease, and if it can help with other signs of the disease.
Frequently asked questions
Does light therapy help multiple sclerosis fatigue?
Yes. In the Medical University of Vienna study, 26 people with MS used light therapy for 14 days. They reported a significant, measurable drop in fatigue. The benefit came from bright light at 10,000 lux. A comparison group given dim red light under 300 lux did not improve. So the brightness itself did the work.
What is the best treatment for MS fatigue?
No single treatment works for everyone. Some drugs, vitamins, supplements and lifestyle changes reduce fatigue. But none is perfect, and what helps one person may fail another. Every patient has fatigue, and it needs constant care. So safer drug-free options matter. Bright light therapy is simple, easy to get and safe to provide. That makes it a strong option to try.
How does light therapy reduce fatigue?
People now spend more and more hours indoors, away from direct sunlight. Enough light changes how the brain works. It helps set the body clock, improves sleep and lifts depression. All of that pushes back against fatigue. Bright light therapy restores the daily light signal that indoor life takes away.
Who was in the MS light therapy study?
The Vienna researchers enrolled 26 people with multiple sclerosis. They left out anyone with a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea or periodic leg movements. That way, poor sleep from those causes could not explain the fatigue. Patients got either bright 10,000 lux light or dim red light under 300 lux for 14 days.
More resources
https://painmd.tv/few-short-bursts-of-physical-activity-may-significantly-prolong-your-life/
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Dr. Gurpreet Singh Padda, MD, MBA, MHP
