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Abstract
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ABSTRACT: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease affecting all aspects of life in patients with this disease and causes a wide range of functional problems, including reduced walking capacity. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of 8 weeks aquatic, land-based and combined (aquatic-land( exercise programs according to Burdenko method on the walking capacity measured by 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT). This was a pre- post design study. Thirty one women diagnosed with MS, age range 30-50 years, EDSS<4.5, and living in Amol, Iran participated in this study. The paired t-test results demonstrated a significant improvement in the walking ability of individuals after aquatic exercises (t = -2.23, α=0.048), land-based exercises (t = -5.31, α= 0.001) and combined exercises (t = -4.00, α = 0.001) compared to the pretest. The results of covariance test indicated that aquatic, land-based and combined exercise programs had different effects on the walking ability (power = 0.80, P = 0.001, and F 30, 2 = 8.98). Results of LSD post hoc analysis further indicated that the mean 6MWT in the land-based exercise group and combined exercise group was significantly higher than the aquatic exercise group (p<0.05), but no significant difference was found in the mean of 6MWT between land-based exercise group and combined exercise group (p>0.05). According to the results of this study, the combined and land-based exercises can be suggested for people with MS in order to improve their walking capacity. These methods can be suggested as appropriate non-pharmacologic complementary therapies in the rehabilitation centers.
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