Acute effect of myofascial stretching exercise on spasticity, balance, ambulation status and mobility of posterior chain muscles in multiple sclerosis

ABSTRACT

Objective

To investigate the acute effect of myofascial stretching exercises on spasticity, balance, ambulation status and mobility of posterior chain muscles in multiple sclerosis.

Method

The study was conducted as a randomised controlled experimental study. The study included a total of 80 individuals diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) with a mean age of 43.5 ± 9.62 years (experimental group) and 41.4 ± 10.4 years (control group). All individuals were treated once and evaluated before and after the session. After recording the sociodemographic characteristics, spasticity assessment was performed with the Modified Ashword Scale (MAS), balance assessment with the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), ambulation status with the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), and posterior chain muscle mobility (PCMM) with finger-to-ground distance measurement.

Results

The TUG (time to complete the distance) measurements of the experimental group after treatment were lower than those of the control group (p < 0.05). The value of PCMM measurements of the experimental group before the treatment was lower than that of the control group (p < 0.001). The difference in positive increase in PCMM measurements in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group (p < 0.05). After the treatment, the MAS value in the left knee of the experimental group was lower than that of the control group (p < 0.05).

Discussion

Myofascial stretching exercises applied to individuals with MS made an acute contribution to ambulation status and mobility of posterior chain muscles. There was no difference in the evaluation of spasticity and balance.

KEYWORDS:

• Multiple sclerosis
• myofascial stretching exercise
• acute effect
• balance
• rehab’l’tat’on

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethics approval

Ethics committee permission was granted by the Kayseri City Hospital Non Interventional Clinical Research Ethics Committee with decision number 648 dated 2 June 2022.

Consent to participate

Cases provided ‘informed consent’ and were informed about the study based on the Helsinki Declaration.

Author contributions

Hanife ABAKAY: Study design, data collection and writing

M. Fatih YETKİN: Providing the cases, interpretation

Hanife DOGAN: Study design, data analysis, interpretation

Ayşe GÜÇ: Providing the cases, critical review

Havva TALAY ÇALIŞ: Providing the cases, interpretation

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.