Mizaj assessment in multiple sclerosis patients based on Persian Medicine

Abstract

Objectives Increased incidence of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) calls for supporting complementary therapies in this field. Persian Medicine (PM) specialists present various assumptions to help patients through Mizaj (temperament) modification, but its confirmation requires scientific evidence. This study aimed at identifying the Mizaj of MS patients, and comparing it with their Mizaj before the onset of the disease, and with that of healthy people. Methods Forty-two MS and fifty-four healthy subjects participated in the study as case and control groups. General and brain Mizaj in patients were identified by five PM specialists before and after the onset of the disease. Mojahedi Mizaj Questionnaire (MMQ) was completed by the two groups. The validity of MMQ was assessed using Mizaj diagnosis by PM specialists as the gold standard. T-test, McNemar-Bowker, Wilcoxon, and Chi-square (χ 2) tests were used to compare the Mizaj of patients before and after the onset of the disease, and between the two groups (p<0.05). Results The sensitivity and specificity of MMQ for Hotness (75, 81%) and Coldness (75, 65%) were acceptable. There were no significant differences between patients and healthy subjects in terms of general Mizaj. But general and brain Mizaj of patients after developing MS inclined to coldness and dryness, although merely inclination of general Mizaj to coldness was significant (p=0.03). Conclusions According to our results, the Mizaj of MS patients has an inclination toward coldness and dryness; Also, MMQ can be used as a validated scale for identifying the Mizaj of MS patients in future studies.

Complementary and alternative medicine usage amongst multiple sclerosis patients in Iran

“…With regards to MS, it was believed that their general Mizaj tended toward "coldness". 42 Furthermore, the use of CAM in some of the patients led to cessation or irregular usage of their conventional treatments. These challenges coupled with the high prevalence of CAM usage and the willingness of patients to continue using CAM show the necessity to ask patients about CAM usage during their routine visits.…”