None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
This pilot study will investigate if an exercise and education program is useful to help keep persons with Multiple Sclerosis exercising in the community by themselves. We hypothesise that the program will improve walking speed and be a feasible and safe program.
Interventions
Intervention participants will attend a 12 week program twice a week, consisting of twice weekly group exercise (60 minutes duration each) and once weekly education sessions (60 minutes duration) for six weeks, based at the Physiotherapy Department. Their exercise program will be individually-tailored after a physiotherapy assessment. In week 7 participants will complete their twice weekly group exercise sessions at a community gym. In week 8 participants will be accompanied to a local community
Intervention participants will attend a 12 week program twice a week, consisting of twice weekly group exercise (60 minutes duration each) and once weekly education sessions (60 minutes duration) for six weeks, based at the Physiotherapy Department. Their exercise program will be individually-tailored after a physiotherapy assessment. In week 7 participants will complete their twice weekly group exercise sessions at a community gym. In week 8 participants will be accompanied to a local community exercise option, chosen in the first 6 weeks, with a hospital based health professional. They will be supported to attend this option for a minimum of once weekly for the remainder of the program (weeks 9-12) with support from hospital and trained community exercise location staff. The education sessions will cover principles of self-management, redefining problems, goal setting, facilitators to exercise, solutions to exercise barriers, strategies to manage fatigue & exercise, and community resources. The education sessions will be facilitated by a physiotherapist and an exercise physiologist in a group setting with 6 participants.
Sponsors
Melbourne Health
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Multiple Sclerosis diagnosed by medical practitioner, Extended Disability Status Scale (EDSS) 0-6.5 (i.e. at a minimum be able to walk 20m with bilateral support), reside within RMH RPC Community Therapy Service catchment area, and currently not receiving or wait-listed for outpatient therapy.
Exclusion criteria
Medically unstable (e.g. unstable cardiovascular disease or uncontrolled seizures) or other medical condition that would preclude participation in the program or confound results of the trial (e.g. severe arthritis, amputation or other neurological disorder).
Outcome results
None listed