Investigating the Effect of Aquatic Aerobic Training on the Speed of Walking in High and Low-Degree Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Research in Exercise and Sports Medicine

دوره 2، شماره 1، بهمن 2011، صفحه 67-72   

نوع مقاله: Original Article

چکیده

Background and objective: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease afflicting the central nervous 
system and destroying the myelin sheath of the central nervous system. The most common complications of 
MS are fatigue, Muscle cramps, Chills, squint, imbalance and gait disorders. This study aims at investigating 
the effect of aquatic aerobic training for 8 weeks on the speed of walking in female MS patients with high and 
low-degree Multiple Sclerosis. 
Materials & Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 46 female MS patients were randomly assigned 
into 4 groups based on the degree of Illness and age range. The participants’ average duration of illness was 4 
± 1 years, and their age ranged from 20 to 25 years. They were divided in two experimental groups with
EDSS 1-4 (15 people) and EDSS 4.5-6.5 (11 people) and two control groups with high and low EDSS (10 
people). The experimental group participated in the training program for 8 weeks, three sessions per week with 
the intensity of 40-50 percent of the maximum heart rate. The speed of walking (SOW) was measured in both 
the experimental and control groups before and after the exercise. Then the collected data was analyzed using 
independent and paired t-test. 
Results: The results of the study showed that there was a significant improvement in the SOW in the two 
experimental groups after 8 weeks (High EDSS P<0/044 and low EDSS p<0.003). Accordingly, we observed 
a significant difference between the SOW in patients with high EDSS and low EDSS (p<0.001). 
Conclusion: As the results of this study indicate, aquatic aerobic exercise can improve the SOW in MS 
patients, particularly those with high degree MS. Thus, we recommend that therapists use aquatic aerobic 
exercises as a supplementary treatment beside medical treatments for MS patients. 

کلیدواژه‌ها

Multiple sclerosis؛ Aquatic exercise؛ Speed of walking