The physical rehabilitation of muscle weakness and lost quality of movement in patients with multiple sclerosis

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of five physical therapy intervention protocols (control, micro current electrical therapy, resistance, resistance plus electro stimulation, whole body vibration) on strength and coordination in the inferior extremities in 41 patients with multiple sclerosis in a 10-week intervention period. For the analysis were created 10 groups of variables with similar characteristics corresponding to variables of coordination and strength. For each group was fitted a repeated measures marginal model considering the different variables for each group as a within-subject factor. Based in the models proposed it was found the Isometric outcomes present significant differences between the control and the treatment Micro current Electrical Stimulation and whole body vibration. The models fitted for each group of outcome variables could be used for physical therapy researcher to design future studies in physical rehabilitation of multiple sclerosis patients involving measures in strength and coordination in the inferior extremities.