Pilates Training in Multiple Sclerosis

Treatment tested

• MSFIT

Other measures (19)

To date, despite recent advances in MS care including rehabilitation interventions, many PwMS are unable to access these developments due to limited mobility, fatigue and related issues, and costs associated with travel. Thus, physical activity at home could be a new way to deliver exercises to the patients. Although Pilates did not show any significant advantage over standardized physical therapy in the current literature, it is a good method to promote physical activity, sensorimotor integration and cognitive stimulation. Thus, it could be a treatment option to improve fatigue, balance and walking abilities in PwMS; consequently, Pilates could be suggested by the clinician as a physical activity to be integrated in the daily life. This possibility could be made more feasible using new tools such as those offered by low cost devices. The main MS-FIT project purposes are to provide and to test a tool based on serious game concept of Pilates-inspired exercises for daily use at home, by mixing the entertainment aspects typical of the videogames and the possibility to perform physical activity. The MS-FIT tool does not pursue therapeutic aims as rehabilitation does, but it could have a positive impact on prevention and health in MS. MS-FIT, by using the Microsoft Kinect Motion Controller Xbox or similar to deliver adapted physical activity, offers the possibility to transform the Pilates exercises into a virtual reality game. MS-FIT, through a multicentre approach, would provide: * a feasibility study in order to: * refine the tool for the final customized version to be used in a RCT MS study * assess the tool for PwMS in terms of technology acceptability and satisfaction-to-use * assess the process of recruitment, the adherence to the intervention, the dropout rate and identify potential issues * assess human resources necessary for the RCT * estimate the effect of the intervention and its variance necessary to calculate the appropriate sample size for the RCT * a RCT study in order to evaluate the effect of a physical activity intervention of exercises inspired to Pilates self-managed at home in terms on PwMS