Abstract:

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of aerobic and isokinetic rehabilitation exercise programs on muscle power, cardiovascular fitness, and quality of life (QoL) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Methods: A total of 40 MS patients who enrolled in a rehabilitation center were included. Twenty patients were randomly assigned to the aerobic exercise group (AEG), and 20 to the isokinetic exercise group (IEG). Patients in both groups participated in a rehabilitation program for 3 days per week for 8 weeks. In the AEG, walking treadmills were adjusted to the maximum speed at which a person could walk, and a 30-45-min run-walk exercise was performed. The patients in the IEG pedaled on a bicycle ergometer. The primary outcome measures were exercise capacity, muscle strength, cardiovascular fitness, and QoL. Results: In IEG, post-treatment exertion values improved significantly for all parameters except maximum achievable heart rate (p<0.05). The post-treatment values for all QoL assessments also improved significantly compared to pre-treatment values in the AEG (p<0.05). No significant differences in post-treatment values were observed between the two exercise groups (p>0.05). Conclusion: Exercise increases muscle strength, functionality, and QoL of MS patients if preventive measures and appropriate precautions, such as selecting exercises suitable for the functional condition of the patient are used.

Keywords: