Impact of pre-cooling therapy on the physical performance and functional capacity of multiple sclerosis patients: A systematic review

Publication date: Available online 13 November 2018Source: Multiple Sclerosis and Related DisordersAuthor(s): Antonia Kaltsatou, Andreas D. FlourisAbstractPatients with multiple sclerosis experience many complications that gradually lead them to comorbidity and disability. Exercise could prevent and ameliorate the symptoms that comorbidity or inactivity generate. However, until recently it was suggested that multiple sclerosis patients should not participate in exercise training programs because multiple sclerosis patients are characterized by thermoregulatory failure and the heat stress due to physical work could exacerbate the disease symptoms. Furthermore, taken into account that 60-80% of the multiple sclerosis patients present adverse clinical symptoms when their body temperature is increased (not only due to physical working but even when immerse in hot water or by exposure to infrared lamps or to the sun), the need for the development of treatment strategies to overcome the thermoregulatory problem in these patients is crucial. Given that pre-cooling has been proposed as an effective method, the aim of this systematic review is to discuss the current knowledge for the effects of cooling therapy on the functional capacity of multiple sclerosis patients. The relevant literature includes many articles, but only a handful of studies published thus far have used a cooling intervention in multiple sclerosis patients and have examined the effects of pre-cooling on functional ...
Source: Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders - Category: Neurology Source Type: research