EP is a community where members connect through shared life experiences-- like MS--and so much more. You are not defined by any one thing, so be your true self and find others just like you at
Experience Project.
Joined: May 04, 2006 Posts: 3372 Location: Mid-Michigan
Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2008 8:36 am Post subject: Exercise and MS
This month's "MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS" journal isn't really theme based about exercise and MS, but it does have three articles addressing the issue.
Bob
Quote:
Review: Multiple sclerosis and physical exercise: recommendations for the application of resistance-, endurance- and combined training
U. Dalgas
Department of Sport Science, University of Aarhus, Aarhus N, Denmark, dalgas@idraet.au.dk, Department of Neurology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus C, Denmark, MS-clinic of southern Denmark (Sonderborg, Vejle, Esbjerg), Department of Neurology, Sonderborg Hospital, Sonderborg, Denmark
E. Stenager
MS-clinic of southern Denmark (Sonderborg, Vejle, Esbjerg), Department of Neurology, Sonderborg Hospital, Sonderborg, Denmark
T. Ingemann-Hansen
Department of Sport Science, University of Aarhus, Aarhus N, Denmark
This review summarizes the existing knowledge regarding the effects of physical exercise in patients suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS). Furthermore, recommendations are given regarding exercise prescription for MS patients and for future study directions. Previously, MS patients were advised not to participate in physical exercise. During recent years, it has been increasingly acknowledged that exercise benefits MS patients. The requirement for exercise in MS patients is emphasized by their physiological profile, which probably reflects both the effects of the disease per se and the reversible effects of an inactive lifestyle. To date the effects of exercise have only been studied in moderately impaired MS patients with an EDSS score of less than 7. Evidence exists for recommending participation in endurance training at low to moderate intensity, as the existing literature demonstrates that MS patients can both tolerate and benefit from this training modality. Also, resistance training of moderate intensity seems to be well tolerated and to have beneficial effects on MS patients, but the methodological quality of the existing evidence is in general low and the number of studies is limited. Only two studies have evaluated the effects of combined resistance- and endurance training, making solid conclusions regarding this training modality impossible. Multiple Sclerosis 2008;
Quote:
Effect of exercise training on quality of life in multiple sclerosis: a meta-analysis
R.W. Motl
Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA, robmotl@uiuc.edu
J.L. Gosney
Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA
Using meta-analytic procedures, this study examined the overall effect of exercise training interventions on quality of life (QOL) among individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). We searched MEDLINE, PSYCHINFO and CURRENT CONTENTS PLUS for the period of 1960 to November 2006 using the key words exercise, physical activity and physical fitness in conjunction with QOL and MS. We further conducted a manual search of bibliographies of the retrieved papers as well as literature reviews and contacted study authors about additional studies. Twenty-five journal articles were located and reviewed, and only 13 provided enough data to compute effect sizes expressed as Cohen's d. One hundred and nine effect sizes were retrieved from the 13 studies with 484 MS participants and yielded a weighted mean effect size of g = 0.23 (95% CI = 0.15, 0.31). There were larger effects associated with MS-specific measures of QOL and fatigue as an index of QOL. The nature of the exercise stimulus further influenced the magnitude of the mean effect size. The cumulative evidence supports that exercise training is associated with a small improvement in QOL among individuals with MS. Multiple Sclerosis 2008; 14: 129—135.
Quote:
Worsening of symptoms is associated with lower physical activity levels in individuals with multiple sclerosis
R.W. Motl
Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA, robmotl@uiuc.edu
P.A. Arnett
Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA
M.M. Smith
Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA
F.H. Barwick
Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA
B. Ahlstrom
Private Neurology Practice, Johnstown, PA, USA
E.J. Stover
Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA
The present study examined the relationship between the worsening of symptoms across a 3—5-year period of time and self-reported physical activity in a sample of 51 individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). Of the 51 participants, 35 reported a worsening of symptoms over the 3—5-year period of time. The worsening of symptoms was associated with significantly and moderately lower levels of self-reported physical activity independent of depression and EDSS scores and MS-disease course (P=0.04). This study provides novel evidence that a worsening of symptoms is associated with lower levels of physical activity in individuals with MS. Multiple
_________________ Wife diagnosed with MS in Feb. 2006 and is a participant in the Tovaxin IIb clinical trial.
Joined: Sep 12, 2006 Posts: 865 Location: Dayton, Ohio USA
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 7:11 am Post subject:
I need to get my ass back in gear on the resistance training. I can't do elliptical or anything cardio because my legs just go goofy. I tried riding a stationary bike a little bit and I lasted about 20 seconds before I started sliding off the seat. My mom is looking into a recumbant stationary bike. I think I will be able to do that. I can, however, use my bowflex. I just haven't been. After 5+ years of serious exercise, I was "waiting" until I got on my Tovaxin to drag myself back on the bowflex. It is just so hard after a ten hour day that I get really down about not exercising. I also need to get my foot surgery done, which I was waiting on the extension for Tovaxin to get going to do. It's getting worse and along with my wobbly legs, I have a limp from my foot. That little limp just zaps my energy. I think I am going to schedule the surgery and the trial be damned. I say that, but the reason I was waiting is that I didn't want to have a bunch of NSAIDS in me and stuff in preperation to take a vaccine. I'm just going to have to grin and bear it, because I could walk more if I wasn't stepping on a nerve with every step.
Reading those articles just reinforces how important it is for us to move as much as we can. I mean "normal" people don't atrophy just sitting around and watching the tube. I think we do!
Joined: May 04, 2006 Posts: 3372 Location: Mid-Michigan
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 8:25 am Post subject:
scoobyjude wrote:
I don't know how much it will help but it can't hurt.
Hi Judi,
I started believing a lot of the material saying that exercising worsened disability, but all this new material seems to show that, yes exercise might temporary worsen the symptoms, but in the long run people with MS who exercise have less progression.
Loobie wrote:
Reading those articles just reinforces how important it is for us to move as much as we can. I mean "normal" people don't atrophy just sitting around and watching the tube. I think we do!
I agree that it's even more important for people with MS to exercise. It's probably way too simplistic, but exercise is kind of like getting up some momentum when you know there is a hill ahead, but in the case of exercise (and probably eating right) you're not only increasing muscle tone but cardiovascular health and health in general.
Gosh, you're so close now Lew, maybe you should hold that operation off a little longer?
Bob _________________ Wife diagnosed with MS in Feb. 2006 and is a participant in the Tovaxin IIb clinical trial.
Joined: Sep 12, 2006 Posts: 865 Location: Dayton, Ohio USA
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 12:02 pm Post subject:
I'm going to try and hold it off. The problem is that due to my almost flat feet, I can't even walk around the house barefoot or my knees and back kill me since I'm all hardwood except in the bedroom (plus, lucky me, my MS pain area seems to be in my feet to some degree which is why I didn't even get this checked out for so long; I just thought it was MS). But the ball of my foot is so tender that when I put my "cushiest" shoes on, it hurts. Literally just putting the shoe on puts enough pressure on the ball of my foot that I have to start favoring it right out of the gates. It is really getting painful. I plan on calling my podiatrist Monday to see how long he thinks I'll need anti-inflammatories and if it conflicts with my early dosing schedule, then I will wait. However, if he says that it is less of a big deal than I imagine, I'm getting it done.
By the end of the day I'm so wore out from walking around on my aching ass foot that it's really getting depressing. I want to hang on and wait, but I thought my wait was going to be much shorter. Can you say I thought my extension shots were going to be in Novemember? It just get frustrating knowing that every day I put this off, it's going to hurt more. When I thought the schedule was so "fixed' from Opexa, I didn't worry about waiting. Now, after all the delays, I don't know if I'll actually get my shots when they have told me I will. I just don't take everything that Opexa says at face value anymore, and I know I can't wait much longer to get this done. I guess I could call down there again and ask them to "check" on my cells. My worst nightmare is that we get to the end of the cell culture and they notify me that something went wrong and we have to do it all over again. After the track record last year, I just can't say I have total faith in them coming through. Probably a lot of me just being pissed, but it is what it is.
Joined: May 04, 2006 Posts: 3372 Location: Mid-Michigan
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 1:06 pm Post subject:
Loobie wrote:
The problem is that due to my almost flat feet, I can't even walk around the house barefoot or my knees and back kill me
I can understand where you're coming from. My sciatic nerve occasionally bothers me and favoring it gets everything else hurting.
You're in a situation in which it's hard to know the right thing to do, but you know your situation better than anyone else and you're intelligent so I think you'll make the right choices, even when they're painful.
Bob _________________ Wife diagnosed with MS in Feb. 2006 and is a participant in the Tovaxin IIb clinical trial.
Joined: May 04, 2006 Posts: 3372 Location: Mid-Michigan
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 2:18 pm Post subject:
gwa wrote:
Glad everyone is so energetic. I put a gold star in my journal if I can just take a shower and dress myself without falling over.
gwa
If only I practiced what I preach! I don't even have MS and I'll be damned if I'm going to exercise!
The closest I come to exercise is pushing the button to change the channel when "The biggest loser" comes on.
Bob _________________ Wife diagnosed with MS in Feb. 2006 and is a participant in the Tovaxin IIb clinical trial.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Forum FAQ
Search
Usergroups
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
