If you are living with multiple sclerosis (MS), you are most likely aware that extreme fatigue often tops the list of the most distressing symptoms of the disease.
The good news, however, is that there may be a way for you to fight that fatigue. A new study suggests that light therapy may help you get your life back.
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MS is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the body attacks the insulation around its nerves, causing fatigue, numbness, bladder problems, mood issues and mobility problems that can hamper everyday life.
So, how exactly does light therapy help with this?
When patients with MS sat in front of a light box for 30 minutes a day for two weeks, they were less tired and reported more energy to get through their day than their counterparts who sat in front of a dim red light.
Exactly how light helps with fatigue isn’t fully understood, but researchers have their theories.
“Light therapy promotes alertness, concentration and wakefulness during the daytime and increases the availability of serotonin and noradrenaline in the brain; both neurotransmitters are responsible for the regulation of mood and motivation,” says study author Dr. Stefan Seidel. He’s a neurologist at Vienna General Hospital and associate professor at the Medical University of Vienna in Austria.
The study included 26 people with MS. Half sat in front of a daylight lamp with a brightness of 10,000 lux, the level recommended for effective light therapy. The other half sat in front of an identical lamp that emitted a dim red light.
Researchers ruled out any sleep disorders before starting the study, as those could interfere with the results.
Those who sat by the 10,000-lux daylight lamp for a half-hour every day showed improved
physical and mental performance in just two weeks. In addition, they were less sleepy by day.
In contrast, no such effect was seen among people with MS who sat by the red-light lamps, the study showed. These changes were measured by reductions in scores on a Fatigue Severity Scale.
Easing fatigue can make a big difference in your quality, Seidel notes.
“Fatigue is highly prevalent in patients with MS affecting anywhere from 75% to 98% and ranks in the top three reasons for impairment during activities of daily living,” he shares.
Various medications can help alleviate fatigue in MS, but they carry a risk of side effects. This is where light therapy shines as it is essentially free of side effects, Seidel adds.
“It should be worth a two- to three-week trial when experiencing fatigue in combination with depression [in MS],” he says.
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Seidel notes that light sensitivity due to medication should be discussed and checked by a physician before you begin treatment. Certain medications cause heightened skin sensitivity when skin is exposed to light.
“Light therapy is an option for someone with MS who has fatigue,” Kathy Zackowski, associate vice president of research at the New York City-based National MS Society. “Light therapy has been associated with lessening of fatigue in several studies, though all studies have been small and underpowered to show a strong effect.”
What is needed now is a larger study and more careful consideration of the effect of natural environmental light, she says.
Still, there really isn’t a downside to giving light therapy a try if you have significant fatigue, Zackowski adds.
“Light therapy is a non-technical, non-pharmaceutical intervention with very few known side effects, and the financial investment needed to pursue light therapy is minimal,” she shares.
The light boxes used in the study start at around $200.
“MS-related fatigue is a very common symptom of MS and is very difficult to treat,” Zackowski notes.
Checking in with your healthcare team can also help troubleshoot MS-related fatigue, she notes.
“A physician can evaluate the medications a person is on and determine the risk of side effects as well as testing for physiologic reasons for feeling fatigued,” Zackowski says. “A second step would be to consult with an occupational therapist to assess sleep issues, help with simplifying tasks at work and home and learn strategies for conserving energy.”
In addition, a physical therapist can help develop a regular exercise program to prevent de-conditioning, and a psychologist can offer guidance in strategies such as stress management, relaxation training or psychotherapy.
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