Supervised exercises versus telerehabilitation. Benefits for persons with multiple sclerosis

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Health Sciences

Background:

• Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological condition impacting daily life.
• Fatigue, health status, quality of life (QoL), and activities of daily living (ADL) are key concerns for MS patients.
• Structured exercise programs are recognized for their therapeutic potential in MS management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of structured telerehabilitation on fatigue, health status, QoL, and ADL in MS patients.
• To compare telerehabilitation outcomes with those of structured supervised exercise programs in MS.

Main Methods:

• A randomized, single-blind trial involving 30 relapsing-remitting MS patients.
• Two groups were formed: a 12-week structured supervised exercise program (n=15) and a 12-week structured home-based telerehabilitation program (n=15).
• Assessments included the Functional Independence Measure (FIM), Nottingham Health Profile (NHP-I), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), and Quality of Life Scale (QoLS) pre- and post-intervention.

Main Results:

• Both exercise groups showed significant improvements in all measured parameters post-intervention (p < .05).
• No significant between-group differences were observed for FIM (total, motor, cognitive), NHP sub-parameters, or QoLS (p > .05).
• The supervised exercise group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in FSS and total NHP scores compared to the telerehabilitation group (p < .05).

Conclusions:

• Structured home-based telerehabilitation is a viable alternative to supervised exercise for MS patients, with no reported side effects.
• Telerehabilitation can enhance health-related QoL and ADL in MS patients.
• Supervised exercise may offer superior benefits for reducing fatigue and improving the overall health profile in MS compared to home-based programs.