Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 12, 2026
Adapted Resistance Training Improves Strength in Eight Weeks in Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis
Published on: January 29, 2016
Effects of physical exercise on spasticity in people with multiple sclerosis: A systematic review
Lydia González-Mingorance1, Luis Andreu-Caravaca2, Jacobo Á Rubio-Arias1
1Health Research Centre, Department of Education, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Universidad de Almería, Almería, Spain.
Background:
Spasticity is one of the most prevalent symptoms that affect the quality of life of people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Physical exercise has been proposed as a non-pharmacological intervention that may positively influence spasticity; however, the effects remain unclear.
Objective:
To analyse the effectiveness of different physical exercise interventions on spasticity in people with MS.
Data Sources:
A systematic search was conducted in four databases.
Study Selection:
Studies were included if they were randomised controlled trials that enrolled people with MS with an Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score ≤6.0 and assessed spasticity. Studies in which participants with MS had other conditions and the results were not reported separately for the MS subgroup were excluded.
Synthesis Methods:
Results were synthesised narratively. Participant characteristics, exercise training variables, and spasticity outcomes were extracted and summarised across included studies.
Results:
Thirteen randomised controlled trials were included: resistance (n = 1), flexibility (n = 4), neuromotor/stability (n = 1), aerobic cycle ergometry (n = 2), alternative modalities (yoga/climbing; n = 1), and multicomponent programmes (n = 4). Overall, these interventions were associated with reductions in spasticity. However, intervention protocols varied substantially, and several spasticity measures may lack adequate sensitivity to detect clinically meaningful change.
Conclusion:
Physical exercise appears to reduce spasticity in ambulatory MS patients (EDSS score <6), with the most consistent improvements reported in programmes incorporating flexibility/range-of-motion work; however, heterogeneity in intervention protocols, incomplete reporting of training dose, and limitations of commonly used spasticity measures reduce confidence in the magnitude of the effects, and highlight the need for well-designed trials using more valid outcomes.
