Article

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of a balance exercise program on falls in
people with mild to moderate multiple sclerosis (MS).
DESIGN: Multicenter,
single-blinded, single-group, pretest-posttest trial.
SETTING: Seven
rehabilitation units within 5 county councils. PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling
adults with MS (N=32) able to walk 100m but unable to maintain 30-second tandem
stance with arms alongside the body. INTERVENTION: Seven weeks of twice-weekly,
physiotherapist-led 60-minute sessions of group-based balance exercise targeting
core stability, dual tasking, and sensory strategies (CoDuSe). MAIN OUTCOME
MEASURES: Primary outcomes: number of prospectively reported falls and proportion
of participants classified as fallers during 7 preintervention weeks,
intervention period, and 7 postintervention weeks. Secondary outcomes: balance
performance on the Berg Balance Scale, Four Square Step Test, sit-to-stand test,
timed Up and Go test (alone and with cognitive component), and Functional Gait
Assessment Scale; perceived limitations in walking on the 12-item MS Walking
Scale; and balance confidence on the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale
rated 7 weeks before intervention, directly after intervention, and 7 weeks
later. RESULTS: Number of falls (166 to 43; P</=.001) and proportion of fallers
(17/32 to 10/32; P</=.039) decreased significantly between the preintervention
and postintervention periods. Balance performance improved significantly. No
significant differences were detected for perceived limitations in walking,
balance confidence, the timed Up and Go test, or sit-to-stand test. CONCLUSIONS:
The CoDuSe program reduced falls and proportion of fallers and improved balance
performance in people with mild to moderate MS but did not significantly alter
perceived limitations in walking and balance confidence.
CI - Copyright (c) 2014 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS