Intermittent walking, rather than continuous walking, can help patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) walk farther and with less fatigue, and may help patients tolerate a greater dose of walking training, according to a randomized crossover study of 27 patients.
Researchers measured subjects’ walking distance under both intermittent (INT) walking conditions of three 2-minute bouts and continuous (CONT) walking conditions for 6 minutes straight. They found:
• INT resulted in greater walking distances than CONT.
• Scores on the visual analog scale of fatigue were lower in the INT condition than CONT.
The study authors recommend further study to determine if exercise programs using intermittent walking would be beneficial.
Citation: Karpatkin H, Cohen ET, Rzetelny A, et al. Effects of intermittent versus continuous walking on distance walked and fatigue in persons with multiple sclerosis: a randomized crossover trial. J Neurol Phys Ther. 2015;39(3):172-178. doi:10.1097/NPT.0000000000000091.
Commentary: This is an important analysis identifying a missing piece of information that could provide additional effective avenues for evaluating the impact of MS in real life and improving therapeutic outcomes. The ability to evaluate the impact of MS in real life is limited by information obtained from Extended Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and MRI. Real everyday impact of the disease on daily life and activities extends beyond the 25-foot walk and is typically measured as prolonged impact over the course of a day or longer and involves extended activities and intermittent activities. This analysis provides insight into people with MS who perform activities intermittently or in stages and not perhaps ongoing. This is real life, and this approach could provide a remedy of intermittent exercise or therapy to achieve effective improvement without the impact of exercise induced heating up causing greater impact from MS and negative effective exercise and therapy. – Mark Gudesblatt, MD, Medical Director of the Comprehensive MS Care Center at South Shore Neurologic Associates in Islip, NY