Research Studies on the Benefits of Exercise Featured Recently in the International Journal of MS Care

​​The International Journal of MS Care (IJMSC) recently published research reports on the importance of exercise and well-being in creating more positive outcomes for people with multiple sclerosis. IJMSC is the leading peer-reviewed publication on multidisciplinary multiple sclerosis (MS) care and clinical research.

The article “Pilot Study of Outcomes After Functional Electrical Stimulation Cycle Training in Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis Who Are Nonambulatory” appeared online first on August 9, 2016, and “Exercise Training in Progressive Multiple Sclerosis” was published in the September/October 2016 issue of IJMSC.

“These two studies begin to shed light on the exercise options that can be tailored to patients with any type of disease course and across the spectrum of severity as well as the benefits of integrating rehabilitation and wellness interventions into the management of MS,” said Francois Bethoux, MD, Editor-in-Chief of IJMSC and Director of Rehabilitation Services at the Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research in Cleveland, Ohio.

The cycling study focused on people with MS who are nonambulatory and sought to find out if functional electrical stimulation (FES) cycling offers people with significant weakness and mobility challenges an option for exercise. The objective was to evaluate safety and potential for FES cycling to improve fatigue, pain, spasticity, and quality of life in people with moderate to severe MS. Deborah Backus, PhD, PT, of the Crawford Research Institute, Shepherd Center, in Atlanta, GA, and colleagues did find in this small pilot study that individuals with MS who are nonambulatory are able to improve performance on the FES cycle after training for 30 minutes, 3 times a week, for 4 weeks and that this may be a viable and effective exercise option for people with moderate to severe MS.

“Exercise Training in Progressive Multiple Sclerosis” compares recumbent stepping and body weight–supported treadmill training in people with progressive MS. A dozen people randomly received total-body recumbent stepper training (similar to climbing stairs) or body weight–supported treadmill training. Lara A. Pilutti, PhD, of the Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois, and colleagues found that both training programs were safe and enjoyable, and reduced fatigue and improved quality of life. The stepper training, which is a more economical training option, was reviewed more favorably. 

These IJMSC articles focused on exercise and well-being for the management of all types of MS were also recently cited in the research newsletter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

IJMSC is now offering continuing education (CE) credits for selected published articles. Articles published in IJMSC in the past four years are accessible through various types of searches on PubMed Central (PMC), a free electronic archive of full-text biomedical and life sciences journal literature at the US National Institutes of Health’s National Library of Medicine (NLM). Each journal citation in PubMed also includes a prominent link to the original full-text version of the article at www.IJMSC.org. To view the current issue of IJMSC and past issues, visit www.IJMSC.org.

About International Journal of MS Care

The International Journal of MS Care (IJMSC) is the official peer-reviewed journal of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) and the leading publication on MS clinical care and research. It is also the official publication of the International Organization of Multiple Sclerosis Nurses (IOMSN) and the International Organization of Multiple Sclerosis Rehabilitation Therapists (IOMSRT). The bimonthly IJMSC publishes high-quality research, reviews, and consensus papers on a broad range of clinical topics of interest to MS health-care professionals, including neurological treatment, nursing care, rehabilitation, neuropsychological status, and psychiatric/psychosocial care. The mission of the journal is to promote multidisciplinary cooperation and communication among the global network of MS health-care professionals, with the goal of maximizing the quality of life of people affected by MS.

The IJMSC has won many editorial and design excellence awards, including the APEX Award, Communicator Award, and Hermes Creative Award. For more information on the journal, visit www.ijmsc.org.

About Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC)

The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) is the leading international educational, training, and networking organization for MS health-care professionals and researchers. The CMSC mission is to promote high-quality MS care through educational programming and accreditation including live and online events, research grants, technical journals and papers, and targeted advocacy efforts. The CMSC member network includes more than 11,000 international health-care clinicians and scientists committed to MS care as well as more than 60 Veterans Administration MS Programs and 225 MS Centers in the US, Canada, and Europe. For more information on CMSC and its Annual Meeting, visit www.mscare.org. Follow CMSC on Twitter: @mscare.org and Facebook: CMSCmscare.

Media Contact:  Annie Scully, annie.scully@mscare.org, 201-310-9252