Neurorehabilitation Strategies in Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic progressive disease which is one of the leading causes of handicap in young subjects. Despite the availability of advanced disease-modifying and symptomatic therapies, there is still a need for complex rehabilitation interventions in order to compensate functional deficits, to minimize limitations in activity, to increase independence and quality of life of MS patients. Individualized programs elaborated by a multidisciplinary team of experts are the key to success of rehabilitation. Treatment should be adapted depending on: the individual patient's needs, demands of their surrounding environment, type and degree of disability, and treatment goals. The main objective of rehabilitation is, therefore, to ease the burden of symptoms by improving self-performance and independence. The methods used are: function conservation , optimization of restant capacities, compensation of functional deficits and prevention of complications. Benefits of rehabilitation interventions are generally higher in earlier phases of MS. Inpatient and outpatient multidisciplinary rehabilitation has been shown to be beneficial in improving disability. Outcome measures applied for patients with MS include: the EDSS score, the Barthel index and the FIM (Functional Independence Measure). The coexistence of physical and cognitive impairments, together with the imprevisible evolution of the disease makes MS rehabilitation very challenging. Rehabilitation is a valuable tool in the overall management of MS patients, the improvements obtained after treatment sessions often outlast the treatment period by several months. Neurorehabilitation methods are important tools in developing complex management strategies for patients with multiple sclerosis.