Exercise Rehabilitation Program in MS Who Use Wheelchairs as a Primary Mobility Device

Physical Function,Walking Speed,Lower-Extremity Function,Walking Endurance

Approximately 50% of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) use a wheelchair within 30 years of
 the initial diagnosis. Wheelchair use in MS is often associated with fatigue as a consequence
 of muscle weakness. Indeed, fatigue, a prevalent consequence of MS, often becomes
 debilitating and exhausts energetic resources when carrying-out tasks of daily life and/or
 interacting with the community, as these require ambulatory mobility. This experience of
 excessive fatigue has its roots in muscle weakness and results in reliance on a wheelchair
 for mobility, and the dependency on a wheelchair may further reduce muscular strength,
 particularly of the lower extremities. We propose that wheelchair users with MS can increase
 muscular strength through a personalized exercise rehabilitation, and this in turn will
 improve ambulatory performance and possibly reduce fatigue. To date, no research has examined
 the effects of this specific exercise rehabilitation program (GH method) on physical function
 and other disease-related outcomes in persons with MS who use wheelchairs as a primary
 mobility device.