Abstract:

This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions used in the treatment of balance and gait in multiple sclerosis by reviewing studies conducted in Turkey. Studies were included according to the following eligibility criteria: Population, Multiple Sclerosis patients; Intervention, non-pharmacological therapeutic interventions for balance and gait; Comparison, usual intervention and no intervention/no special balance intervention; Outcome, balance and gait clinical scales; Study design, randomized controlled trials. A literature search was conducted in CENTRAL, MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, ClinicalTrials.gov, TR Index for studies published between January 2013 and August 2023. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed by the Quality Checklist for Randomized Controlled Trials published by the Joanna Briggs Institute. A total of 1023 participants (n) were included in this review. The average sample size per study was 37.88± 16.73. While 78% of the studies reported that the interventions they applied had a positive effect on walking and recovery outcomes in MS, 22% of the studies reported no significant superiority in balance and walking outcomes. The evidence showed that although a wide range of therapeutic interventions are available for balance and gait in people with MS, there is a serious lack of high-quality evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of these modalities.

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