The Effect of Telerehabilitation on Balance in People With Multiple Sclerosis

Possibilities of Using Telerehabilitation for the Therapy of Balance and Walking Disorders in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis in Clinical Practice

The study will compare the effect of individual telerehabilitation with offline remote exercise through videos and with a control group without intervention. The monitored group will be people with multiple sclerosis with balance impairment. The duration of the intervention will be 12 weeks.

Total of 60 persons will be randomly divided into two experimental and one control groups. After dividing into individual groups, all probands will be examined using objective and subjective tests for balance and walking. The same testing will be done after the end of the 12-week intervention.

The group with individual telerehabilitation will exercise twice a week. The exercise will consist of strength and balance exercises using the Homebalance ® system. For direct synchronous contact between the physiotherapist and the patient, an audiovisual link via the freely available ZOOM app was used.

The second experimental group will receive 12 video recordings of exercises created by a physiotherapist for home exercises, according to which they will also exercise twice a week.

The control group receives no intervention.

Inclusion Criteria:

• a diagnosis of definite MS
• subjectively perceived balance impairment
• clinically stable MS (at least 30 days since the last attack of the disease)
• ability to independently operate a PC or tablet, and

Exclusion Criteria:

• severe cognitive deficits that would interfere with understanding exercise instructions
• presence of other disease adversely affecting balance impairment