Medicina Tradicional e Naturopatia Clínica

Abstrato

Rehabilitation in Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis in Patients: Early Outcomes

Mandolesi S, d’Alessandro A, Niglio T, Gallucci S, Cialfi A, Mandolesi D5Di Donato R, Stammegna I and d’Alessandro A

Introduction: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) affects approximately 110,000 people in Italy and MS is a leading cause of disability in young adults. Rehabilitation interventions are frequently used as clinical strategies for improving or maintaining functional state.

Methods: We assessed 9 patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SP-MS): Four female and five male with a mean age of 47.3 years. The mean score EDSS was 7 (values from 3.5 to 8.5). All patients were hospitalized from eight to ten weeks; MSIS-29, EBN, Hamilton, FIM, Barthel, Tinetti and FSS tests were administered. All patients received one weekly spine manipulation in accordance with Palmer, Sutherland, Makenzie procedures both in supine and upright position. Three times a week the patients received also a draining massage of head and lower limbs by Muscular Acoustic Modulator (MAM) device. Eighty minutes a day, for 6 days a week, all patients had neuro-motor rehabilitation.

Results: Only some data from clinical tests showed statistically significant differences, before and after treatments. These data are: FSS scale: p<0.01 (H Kruskal-Wallis=6.7996 with degree of freedom=1); Memory test with deferred Prose: p<0.05 (H Kruskal-Wallis=4.7193 with degree of freedom=1); Memory test with immediate Prose: p=0.0920 Trend (H Kruskal-Wallis=2.8382 with degree of freedom=1).

Conclusion: In our study FIM, Bartel, Tinetti tests showed reductions in clinical disability without statistical significance. We had statistically significant differences, after 6 weeks by this innovative rehabilitation treatment both on the chronic fatigue on the cognitive status in inpatients with SP-MS. These preliminary positive results encourage us to continue research on a larger sample of patients.