Elliptical exercise improves fatigue ratings and quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis

Abstract

Abstract-Fatigue, reduced quality of life (QOL), and lower physical activity levels are commonly reported in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). This study evaluated the effects of elliptical exercise on fatigue and QOL reports in patients with MS. Patients with MS (n = 26) completed the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS), and the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) before and after completing 15 elliptical exercise training sessions. Changes in fatigue and QOL were assessed based on any changes in the fatigue and SF-36 questionnaires, and correlations between changes in each of the scales were made to determine whether a relationship was present between the fatigue and QOL measures. Results showed significant improvement in FSS, MFIS, and five SF-36 subscales as a result of elliptical exercise. The change in FSS correlated with change in two of the SF-36 subscales. Elliptical exercise for patients with MS results in significant improvements in both fatigue and QOL. These findings indicate that regular elliptical exercise could be a part of inpatient and outpatient MS rehabilitation programs.

A scoping review of rehabilitation interventions that reduce fatigue among adults with multiple sclerosis

“…Therefore, the appropriateness and impact of these exercise interventions among different groups of people (e.g. those who are elderly, diagnosed with [53] Maximal effort exercise 0.82 SPFS Huisinga et al [54] Elliptical exercise 0.54 MFIS Vore et al [55] Individualized exercise 0.50 MFIS Smith et al [56] Single exercise session 0.23 VAS (0-100) Klefbec et al [19] Inspiratory muscle training 0. older progressive MS and present severe disability) are still unknown; this is another area of research that requires further investigation [41,43]. Many behavior change interventions in this review offer more flexibility than the exercise interventions, meaning that participants in behavior change interventions are able to review their issues related to fatigue and develop skills to adjust their daily routine, activities or environment to manage MS fatigue at their own pace.…”

Exercise Approaches to Ameliorate Fatigue in People with Multiple Sclerosis

“…Indeed, some researches argued that fatigue could be resolved as a result of exercise activities focused on improvement of balance in individuals with MS. For example, it was suggested that when balance is improved, less energy will be spent on maintaining balance to perform various activities, which in turn would help in dealing with fatigue [62]. Moreover, interventions like Hippotherapy [66], elliptical exercise [59], core stability training [67] and vestibular training [68] have also shown to help in the improvement of balance. For example, core stability exercise help the body to better cope with the perturbations during activities like stepping, lifting, walking, etc.…”

“…Implementing elliptical exercise for patients with MS also resulted in significant improvements in quality of life and physical function [59].…”

The Associations Between Fatigue, Disability, and Mobility and the Quality of Life in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

“…In addition, Haresabadi and et al showed that the quality of life was significantly correlated with the disability score, while no correlation was shown with mental disabilities (3). Decreasing physical ability may reduce the quality of life by affecting the life independency in MS patients (26), while it has been suggested that improving the fatigue index via exercise may improve the quality of life by increasing the ability to manage the activities of daily living (27). However, decreasing both the disability and fatigue intensity may help MS patients to have a more independent and higher quality of life.…”