the effect of resistance training on control of posture and gait ability in patients with multiple sclerosis: A narrative review

One of the most common progressive destructive diseases in the central nervous system is multiple sclerosis. Its inflammatory process causes a wide range of limitations, including reduced control of posture and the ability to walk. Therefore, the aim of this review was to evaluate the effect of resistance training on body posture control and gait ability in patients with multiple sclerosis.

To access scientific articles from 2000 to 2021, search for keywords related to the present study, which included: resistance training, exercise therapy, balance, posture, walking, performance and multiple sclerosis, from databases such as PubMed, Magiran , IranDoc, PEDro, SPORTDiscus, Google Scholar, Noormags, Trip Database, Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) and Scopus. Resistance exercises used to control of posture and ability of these patients to walk were used. PEDro scale was used to evaluate the quality of articles.

253 studies were reviewed, of which 13 studies with inclusion criteria (score higher than 5 on the Pedro scale) were selected for review. There are many differences in methodology, sample size, method of implementation, how to examine the variables in the studied research that should be considered in the use of resistance exercises.

It seems that if resistance training is accompanied by special sports instructions for patients with multiple sclerosis, it can probably be effective in  control of posture and ability to walk.