Wim Hof method proven to reduce inflammation in new MS study

A 12-week intervention combining breathing exercises, cold exposure, and meditation — known as the Wim Hof Method (WHM) — may help reduce inflammation linked to disease progression in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study suggests.

While neither approach affected markers of neurodegeneration, both reduced blood levels of key inflammatory molecules linked to chronic inflammation and processes associated with nerve damage and disease progression in MS. This could mean they all work well as complementary strategies alongside disease-modifying treatments (DMTs).

‘Both WHM and lifestyle modification demonstrated comparable short-term anti-inflammatory effects in MS, supporting their safety and feasibility as adjunctive strategies to DMT,’ researchers wrote.

MS is a chronic neurological condition in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the brain and spinal cord.

Although available DMTs can reduce the acute inflammation that drives relapses, they have a limited impact on the slow, ongoing inflammatory processes linked to gradual nerve damage and disease progression.

This persistent, slow-burning disease activity – sometimes referred to as smouldering inflammation – has prompted growing interest in non-drug approaches aimed at modulating underlying immune activity beyond acute relapses.

Previous research suggests that regular exercise may ease fatigue, improve quality of life, and may potentially slow disease progression in MS.

Separately, the WHM has been shown in small studies to affect inflammatory responses in healthy individuals and those with certain inflammatory conditions. Its effects in MS, however, have not been well studied.

To directly compare the effects of the two approaches on markers of inflammation and neurodegeneration, researchers conducted a randomised pilot study involving 60 adults with a MS diagnosis. Participants were assigned to one of three groups for 12 weeks: WHM, a lifestyle intervention (LIFE), or a control group that did not receive any intervention.

The WHM program included weekly supervised sessions featuring 40 to 55 minutes of guided breathing exercises combined with focused attention and visualisation practices, followed by brief cold-water immersion and warming exercises. Participants also practiced structured breathing and cold-exposure exercises at home during the week.

The LIFE program involved supervised dance-based exercise sessions twice weekly and individualised nutritional counselling. Participants were guided to follow a reduced-calorie, personalised nutrition plan with balanced macronutrient intake — about 45% carbohydrates, 30% fats, and 25% protein.

Blood markers were measured at the start of the study and again after 12 weeks. After dropouts, complete data from 43 participants were analysed: 12 in the WHM group, 17 in the LIFE group, and 14 in the control group. Participants in each group showed no significant differences in age, sex, disease duration, or disability levels.

Results showed that both the WHM and LIFE interventions led to significant reductions in blood levels of IL-17A and IL-18 over the 12-week period, while levels in the control group increased. These signalling molecules are involved in immune pathways linked to chronic inflammation and processes associated with nerve damage and disease progression in MS independent of relapse activity, the researchers noted.

‘The observed [reduction] of IL-17 A and IL-18 in our study therefore suggests that WHM and structured lifestyle interventions might increase disease-modifying potential by simultaneously attenuating inflammatory and degenerative processes in MS,’ the researchers wrote.

Participants in the WHM group also showed significantly lower blood levels of IFN-gamma, a signalling molecule linked to pro-inflammatory immune responses. Those in the LIFE group had reduced levels of IL-8, which helps recruit immune cells during inflammation. Both significantly increased in the control group.

The researchers noted these changes occurred even though participants did not have signs of active inflammation, indicating the interventions may modulate low-grade, smouldering immune activity rather than acute inflammatory responses.

Neither intervention, however, produced significant changes in levels of neurofilament light chain, a marker of nerve cell damage, and glial fibrillary acidic protein, a marker of injury to support cells in the brain. The researchers noted the 12-week study may have been too short to detect such changes.

According to the researchers, this study provides ‘preliminary evidence that targeted non-pharmacological interventions’ may reduce markers of immune activation in MS, and that both interventions ‘might represent complementary therapeutic approaches for slowing down the subtle, chronic progression of MS that occurs despite successful treatment of acute relapses.’

For more information on alternative therapies that might help MS symptoms, read our Choices booklet