News MS Physical Therapy in Need of Proper Study, Experts Say MS Physical Therapy in Need of Proper Study, Experts Say by Patricia Silva, PhD | December 16, 2015 Share this article: Share article via email Copy article link The National Multiple Sclerosis SocietyĀ announced that a panel of expertsĀ led a comprehensive review of 142 published studies addressing rehabilitation in multiple sclerosis (MS), and found evidence suggesting that weekly in-home or outpatient physical therapy offers benefits ā but, mostly, it found a lack of well-designed studies into MS rehabilitation therapies and techniques. The reviewĀ was published in the journal NeurologyĀ under the title, āSummary of comprehensive systematic review: Rehabilitation in multiple sclerosis.ā Rehabilitation can be criticalĀ to the health and well-being ofĀ MS patients, and significantly improve their social and vocational potentials. To take rehabilitation further and for it to be accepted by the medical and insurance industries, however, more evidence is needed from carefully designed and conducted scientific studies. The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) is the worldās largestĀ association of neurologists and neuroscience professionals. The panel of experts it convened analyzed comparative studies regarding multidisciplinary rehabilitation, outpatient versus inpatient physical therapy, and other techniques and programs that minimize impairment or reduce disability, all with the goal of improving the health-related quality of life for MS patients. Researchers reported the following conclusions: Weekly home or outpatient physical therapy forĀ eight weeks is likely to improveĀ balance, disability and gait in patients able to walk five meters without assistive devices; Personalized inpatient exercise for three weeks, followed by home exercises forĀ 15 weeks, is possibly effective for reducing disability; Motor and sensory balance training for three weeks is likely to improve patientsā balance. Despite the identified benefits, authors believe the available data is insufficient to support or refute the use of many other programs and techniquesĀ āĀ such as short-term aerobic exercise programs, group exercise therapy, strength training, whole body vibration exercise training, exercise training in water, cooling garments, intermittent transcranial magnetic stimulation, or balance-based torso weighting, among others. The authorsĀ found a pressing need for optimally designed trials of rehabilitation therapies and techniques. The National MS Society is now acceleratingĀ research in the field of MS rehabilitation, making exercise and physical activity a fundamental focus of its wellness initiative. The review concluded, āWe need more knowledge about how to integrate rehabilitation efficiently across the MS continuum.ā Print This Page About the Author Patricia Silva, PhD PatrĆcia holds a PhD in medical microbiology and infectious diseases from the Leiden University Medical Center, Netherlands, and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Lisbon, Portugal. Her work in academia was mainly focused on molecular biology and the genetic traits of infectious agents such as viruses and parasites. PatrĆcia earned several travel awards to present her work at international scientific meetings. She is a published author of several peer-reviewed science articles. Tags AAN, American Academy of Neurology, balance, exercise, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, physical therapy, rehabilitation, wellness
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