A randomized trial to investigate the effects of functional electrical stimulation and therapeutic exercise on walking performance for people with multiple sclerosis

Abstract

Exercise may provide a greater training effect on walking speed and endurance than FES for people with SPMS. FES may provide an orthotic benefit when outcome is measured using the same parameters. More research is required to investigate the combined therapeutic effects of FES and exercise for this patient group.

Five-Year Follow-up of a Longitudinal Cohort Study of the Effectiveness of Functional Electrical Stimulation for People with Multiple Sclerosis

“…This may have included patients who did not achieve any ankle dorsiflexion weeks (9%). 4 A significant orthotic effect has also been found in a long-term observational study that included a progressive group of 32 people with MS and familial spastic paraplegia. 5 Researchers found a significant improvement in orthotic effect after 3 months of using FES (7%), which was still significant after 11 months (4%).…”

“…The existence of an orthotic effect through using FES over a short period is well established. [3][4][5][6] In an initial case series that included 23 people with MS, researchers found a 16% increase in walking speed after 4.5 months of using FES. 3 The findings from the case series were further supported by a two-group randomized controlled trial (N = 44) in which a significant improvement in orthotic effect was found after 12 weeks (6%).…”

Effect of Comorbidities on Outcomes of Neurorehabilitation Interventions in Multiple Sclerosis

“…28 The duration of each session ranged from 15 minutes 32,36 to 24 hours. 27 The sample size (per group) ranged from 9 29 to 36 31 participants. The mean age of the groups ranged from 38 34 to 57 [26][27][28] years.…”

“…27 The sample size (per group) ranged from 9 29 to 36 31 participants. The mean age of the groups ranged from 38 34 to 57 [26][27][28] years. Participants were mostly females (range, 30%-84%) with RRMS and minimal to severe disability as measured using the EDSS.…”

“…27,28,[31][32][33][35][36][37] The most commonly excluded comorbidities were cognitive and psychiatric disorders, 27,28,31,32,35,37 and any other neurologic problems 27,32,33,36 (Figure 3). These psychiatric disorders and neurologic problems were generally not identified.…”