Task Specific Training for Advanced Multiple Sclerosis

The purpose of this study is to investigate the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of task-specific physical therapy for persons with severe MS. The hypothesize for this study that a task-specific physical therapy program is safe, feasible, and effective in persons with severe MS. Multiple studies have confirmed the effectiveness of task specific physical therapy for persons with MS. However,MS is a progressive disease which can lead to mild to severe disability and the studies examining the effectiveness of task specific therapy have only been conducted on persons with mild to moderate MS impairments. The small amount of research on physical therapy for persons with severe disability due to MS has only looked at the use of generalized conditioning exercises(1). Task specific therapy has been shown to be effective in persons with severe disability in non-MS neurologic disorders.(2) The effectiveness of task specific exercises on persons with severe MS not been studied. Based on the previous scientific evidence of the effectiveness of task-specific physical therapy in MS subjects with mild-to-moderate disability, there is strong scientific justification for conducting a trial of task specific therapy on persons with severe disability due to MS. The results of this study will be presented at various conferences attended by physical therapists as well as other health care practitioners who specialize in MS care, including the American Physical Therapy Combined Sections Meeting, as well as the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers annual meeting. Additionally, upon completion of the study, we will submit a manuscript to the appropriate peer review journal.