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Exercise and Multiple Sclerosis

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Physical Exercise for Human Health

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 1228))

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated disease of the central nervous system (CNS) with an estimated prevalence approaching 1 million adults in the United States. The disease pathogenesis and resulting damage express as dysfunction (e.g., walking and cognitive impairment) and symptoms (e.g., fatigue and depression) that compromise quality of life (QOL) and full participation. There has been a steadily increasing body of research on the outcomes of exercise among persons with MS, and this has accelerated sharply over the past decade. The current chapter provides a review of exercise and its outcomes, safety, and prescription in MS. This chapter initially reviews the evidence for benefits of exercise based principally on meta-analyses and literature reviews. The chapter then reviews evidence on the safety of exercise in MS and lastly provides guidelines for exercise prescription in MS. Collectively, this chapter serves as an overview and reference for researchers and clinicians interested in the benefits, safety, and prescription of exercise in MS.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Professions,University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA

    Robert W. Motl

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  1. Robert W. Motl
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Correspondence to Robert W. Motl .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Cardiac Regeneration and Ageing Lab Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences School of Life Science, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China

    Junjie Xiao

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Motl, R.W. (2020). Exercise and Multiple Sclerosis. In: Xiao, J. (eds) Physical Exercise for Human Health. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 1228. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-1792-1_22

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