Can Mind-Body Exercises Help with FSGS? See What the Research Says
What is MBI?
Mind-body interventions (MBI) are a range of health and fitness techniques that can increase connections between the mind, body, and behaviors. You might be familiar with yoga, meditation, or relaxation therapy. These are a few examples of mind-body interventions – there are many more.
Mind-body interventions can be used as part of a complementary approach to help with many different diseases, including Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). It can be used alongside traditional treatments to:
alleviate pain
reduce fatigue and promote sleep
increase mobility and physical functioning
improve mood and quality of life
What makes mind-body intervention a great complement to an overall treatment plan is that it can deliver serious health benefits without much risk or cost – and it allows the patient to play an active role in their care.
How can MBI help with FSGS symptoms?
Some clinical studies have demonstrated that MBI interventions can help with symptoms of chronic kidney disease. For example:
Yoga was shown to significantly lower blood pressure and improve physical, social, and mental health related quality of life measures. It also helped with pain and sleep disturbances (1);
Tai chi is a gentle physical exercise and stretching combined with mindfulness. It was shown to improve physical functioning and quality of life measures for people undergoing dialysis (2);
Music therapy is a clinical use of music (listening, singing, playing instruments, or composing) to support individualized health goals. You don’t need to have any musical skills to participate. In clinical studies with patients with chronic kidney disease, music therapy reduced anxiety and pain symptoms (3);
Relaxation therapies can use different techniques, but each is meant to bring about the body’s relaxation response, which can help you slow breathing, lower blood pressure, and reduce the heart rate. In studies with people with chronic kidney disease, relaxation therapies, such as progressive relaxation therapy and guided visual imagery, helped reduce feelings of anxiety and fatigue (4);
Spiritual therapy uses listening to religious recitations or spiritual prayer to help with quality of life. Studies with people with chronic kidney disease demonstrated that spiritual therapy helped reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms (5);
Exercise therapy uses Pilates and aerobic exercises to reduce anxiety symptoms (6).
Next Step, Talk to Your Doctor About MBI
If you are dealing with FSGS symptoms such as pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, anxiety or low mood – talk to your doctor. Because there are a range of MBI approaches that can help with different symptoms, you may be able to incorporate an approach that you enjoy and that helps with an FSGS symptom.
References:
(1) Chu SW, Cheng, TY, et al. The role of mind-body interventions in pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease and dialysis patients – A systematic review of literature. Complementary Therapies in Medicine 57 (2021). P 2 / col 1 / para 3, P 20 / col 2 / para 1.
(2) Chu SW, Cheng, TY, et al. The role of mind-body interventions in pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease and dialysis patients – A systematic review of literature. Complementary Therapies in Medicine 57 (2021). P 2 / col 1 / para 4.
(3) Chu SW, Cheng, TY, et al. The role of mind-body interventions in pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease and dialysis patients – A systematic review of literature. Complementary Therapies in Medicine 57 (2021). P 2 / col 2.
(4) Chu SW, Cheng, TY, et al. The role of mind-body interventions in pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease and dialysis patients – A systematic review of literature. Complementary Therapies in Medicine 57 (2021). P 2 / col 2.
(5) Chu SW, Cheng, TY, et al. The role of mind-body interventions in pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease and dialysis patients – A systematic review of literature. Complementary Therapies in Medicine 57 (2021). P 2 / col 2.
(6) Chu SW, Cheng, TY, et al. The role of mind-body interventions in pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease and dialysis patients – A systematic review of literature. Complementary Therapies in Medicine 57 (2021). P 20 / col 2 / para 1.
