Effects of a 10-Week Inspiratory Muscle Training Program on Lower-Extremity Mobility in People with Multiple Sclerosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial
By Pfalzer, Lucinda; Fry, Donna; International Journal of MS Care, Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 32-42Publication Date: Spring 2011
Study examined the effect of a 10 week home based exercise program using an threshold inspiratory muscle trainer on the results of 4 lower extremity physical performance tests in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The study was undertaken in light of pulmonary weakness being common in ambulatory people with MS, a condition which may lead to deficits in mobility function. A total of 46 ambulatory participants with MS aged 23 to 69 years were randomly assigned to an intervention group that received 10 weeks of home based resistive exercise with a Threshold Inspiratory Muscle Trainer or a nontreatment control group. Outcome measures were pulmonary function measures including maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), maximal expiratory pressure (MEP), and maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV). In addition, the following lower extremity physical performance measures were used: the 6-Minute Walk (6MW) distance, gait velocity, the Sit-to-Stand Test (SST), the Functional Stair Test (FST), and a balance test. Twenty intervention group participants and 19 participants in the control group completed the study. Inspiratory muscle training effectively increased MIP values by 71.4 percent in the experimental participants. Compared with the control group, the intervention group made significantly greater gains in inspiratory muscle strength and timed balance scores. A nonsignificant improvement in 6MW distance was also noted in the IMT trained group as compared to the control group. Study limitations and implications for future research are discussed.
Published by: Consortium of MS Centers (Website:http://www.mscare.org)
Link to text: http://www.mscare.org/cmsc/images/journal/pdf/IJMSC_Spring_11_5.pdf
