(10/15/98)

Multiple Sclerosis patients are turning to Yoga to help them deal with their disease. The movement has caught on in a big way on the west coast. Now, it's coming to Utah. More on the story from Science Specialist Ed Yeates.

52-year-old Laura Shryock stretchs her back upward like a cat - one of many maneuvers in the practice of yoga. Like other m.s. patients, heating up body temperature in aerobic exercises aggravates her symptoms - exhausting her so much, she can't walk.

LAURA SHRYOCK/M.S. PATIENT: "BUT WHEN I FINISH YOGA AFTER AN HOUR AND A HALF CLASS, I ACTUALLY FEEL RENEWED AND GO OUT OF HERE AND GO ON WITH ACTIVITY. I'M VERY RELAXED."

Very relaxed, NO stress! That's what this ancient practice is all about. The so-called mind-body connection proves very therapeutic for m.s. patients.

DEAN CAMPBELL, INSTRUCTOR, YOGA CENTRAL: "THERE NOT QUITE AS INTERESTED IN THE NO PAIN, NO GAIN KIND OF SCENARIO. THEY'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR SOMETHING WHICH CAN KEEP THAT PHYSICAL VITALITY BUT IS A LITTLE GENTLER."

ED YEATES, SCIENCE SPECIALIST: "THERE'S MORE TO HATHA YOGA THAN JUST PHYSICAL STRETCHING. ONE PART OF THE THERAPY M.S. PATIENTS FIND ESPECIALLY HELPFUL IS THE MEDITATION."

Researchers now want to know if stress relief in m.s. patients actually reduces lesions in the brain - possibly slowing the progression of the disease.

Scientists are looking at MRI scans. Studies are premature at this point and far from conclusive. But that's not why patients like Laura are trying yoga.

"WHETHER IT REALLY DEALS WITH THE DISEASE PROCESS, I CAN'T SAY FOR CERTAIN. THE ONLY THING I CAN SAY I THAT I DO FEEL BETTER."