Both balance and endurance training can help reduce fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), but if balance issues are a concern, balance training targets both fatigue and balance. is the best choice, a small study found.
the study, “Fatigue may similarly improve after balance and endurance training in multiple sclerosis: a randomized crossover clinical trial” was published. frontiers of neurology.
MS is caused by a mistaken immune system attack in the brain and spinal cord, causing symptoms of the disease that range from difficulty walking and problems with coordination and balance to fatigue and numbness and tingling in the hands and feet.
Balance difficulties such as fatigue are common in multiple sclerosis
In general, it is recommended that everyone, including people with MS, take steps to stay physically active and engage in exercise. Regular exercise by patients is thought to increase energy levels, improve mood, and reduce some symptoms.
Aerobic cycling workouts, strength training, and yoga exercises have all been shown to reduce fatigue. Now, Italian researchers tested whether balance training could have an additional effect on fatigue caused by MS.
their crossover Research (NCT06051019) Thirty-one patients, aged 30 to 64 years, were enrolled and randomly assigned to 15 sessions of balance or endurance training. After a 2-month break, patients who had undergone balance training were transferred to endurance training and vice versa. Each session took place over 21 days, 5 days per week, and lasted 1.5 hours (90 minutes).
Balance training includes five exercises that focus on maintaining an upright posture. That means standing with your feet together, eyes closed, and on an unstable surface, moving your arms and rotating your head.
During endurance training, patients warmed up on a stationary bike for 10 minutes, stretched their upper and lower extremities for 10 minutes, and rested for an additional 10 minutes. He then cycled for 15 minutes in two sessions, with an additional 10 minutes of stretching and resting between each session, adjusting the resistance to keep his heart rate up.
Six patients discontinued the study, citing MS recurrence and hip pain as reasons.
No patients showed worsening of fatigue between the two training periods
Data covering 25 patients were included in the study’s analysis spanning a pre-training assessment, two training periods, and a 1-month post-session assessment. Thirteen of these people had stable symptoms between their two training periods, while the other 12 showed improvement in symptoms.
“None of the participants had significantly worse fatigue,” the researchers wrote.
Both types of training were found to be effective in reducing fatigue over time, as measured using the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale, a 21-item questionnaire that assesses how much fatigue impacts your daily life. Helpful as well.
However, when it comes to balance, only balance training showed significant improvements on the Equiscale, a measure of balance, and the EquiTest, a measure of postural sway.
According to the data, “endurance and balance training may be equally effective against physical and cognitive fatigue in MS in the short term,” the researchers concluded. Ta. “But only balance training improved the patients’ balance.”
