| Abstract: | Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves). The disease most commonly occurs between the ages of 20 and 40. Various forms of MS are recognized, including relapsing-remitting, primary progressive, secondary progressive, and benign. In the initial stage of the disease, diagnosis is challenging, as symptoms often result from a single focus in the central nervous system. The most common symptoms include visual disturbances, walking ataxia, fatigue, spasticity, tingling in the limbs, reduced physical capacity, and other disorders lasting at least 24 hours. Symptomatic treatment is employed for MS, as causative treatment is currently unknown. Various medications aim to alleviate the symptoms and reduce the number of relapses.
The purpose of this thesis was to review the literature on the effectiveness of physiotherapeutic treatment in patients with multiple sclerosis. The objective was to formulate recommendations for effective physiotherapeutic intervention for patients with multiple sclerosis. The thesis utilized a literature review on the effectiveness of physiotherapeutic treatment in patients with multiple sclerosis. Literature was searched in databases such as PubMed, COBISS, Google Scholar, PEDro, and Cochrane Library using keywords such as multiple sclerosis, rehabilitation, and physical therapy. Inclusion criteria covered topics related to the effectiveness of physiotherapeutic treatment in patients with multiple sclerosis, including study types such as literature reviews, meta-analyses, randomized and controlled clinical trials. Exclusion criteria included studies primarily focused on testing drugs for multiple sclerosis. A total of 24 most relevant findings, meeting all inclusion criteria, were included in the final analysis.
Based on the results of the literature review, we found that physiotherapeutic methods and techniques improve the functioning of patients with multiple sclerosis. Physiotherapeutic treatment was observed to assist patients with multiple sclerosis in improving urinary incontinence, balance, mobility, muscle weakness, mobility, and walking. Additionally, physiotherapeutic treatment for patients with multiple sclerosis can contribute to improving physical fitness, reducing fatigue, decreasing falls, enhancing sexual function, and increasing muscle strength. In general, it can be stated that physiotherapeutic treatment improves the quality of life for patients with multiple sclerosis.
For the treatment of patients with multiple sclerosis, we recommend the following physiotherapeutic interventions: postural exercises, proprioceptive exercises for balance improvement and muscle strengthening, motor exercises, trunk stabilization through the activation of the transverse abdominal muscles and indirectly the multifidus and other paraspinal muscles, balance exercises, kinesiotherapeutic methods (PNF, Bobath), cryotherapy, GroupCoreDIST, Halliwick and Aquatic Plyometric Exercise, aquatic exercise, functional electrical vaginal stimulation, active exercises for pelvic floor muscles and electrical stimulation of the posterior tibial nerve, behavioral rehabilitation, dual-task training, combined exercise therapy, vestibular rehabilitation, exercises for balance and eye movement, robot-assisted gait training, Pilates, and yoga. |
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