Background: The aquatic environment has unique properties, such a buoyancy, turbulence, hydrostatic pressure,and resistance, which can be used to gain a range of exercise benefits. During the last decade, hydrotherapy hasspread in a very heterogeneous rehabilitation field. However, the efficacy of this kind of rehabilitation is notclear in scientific literature. The purpose of this study is to conduct a systematic review with meta-analysis toevaluate the qualitative and quantitative results of physical therapy treatments in an aquatic setting for individuals with Multiple Sclerosis.Method: PRISMA guidelines were used to carry out the systematic review and meta-analysis. Three bibliographicdatabases were searched: MEDLINE, PEDro, and the Cochrane Library. Papers included in the study have thefollowing characteristics: (a) a randomized controlled trial design of research and (b) published in English. Thequality of the clinical trials included were evaluated according to a Jadad score and through meta-analysis.Results: After the elimination of duplicates, 116 records were screened. Among these, 11 Randomized ControlledTrials (RCTs) were included in the systematic review. Ten of these were involved in the meta-analysis. From thequalitative analysis, a larger number of studies were found with a high level of quality. Most of the results of thequantitative analysis were statistically significant (p< 0.05).Conclusion: Aquatic physical therapy is a valid means of rehabilitation for people with Multiple Sclerosis. Theintegration of this methodological approach with conventional physical therapy is recommended. Nevertheless,more studies, a larger number of participants, and short-, medium-, and long-term follow-up are required toconfirm current results.
The effect of aquatic physical therapy on patients with multiple sclerosis. A systematic review and meta-analysis
Tofani, Marco;
2020-01-01
Abstract
Background: The aquatic environment has unique properties, such a buoyancy, turbulence, hydrostatic pressure,and resistance, which can be used to gain a range of exercise benefits. During the last decade, hydrotherapy hasspread in a very heterogeneous rehabilitation field. However, the efficacy of this kind of rehabilitation is notclear in scientific literature. The purpose of this study is to conduct a systematic review with meta-analysis toevaluate the qualitative and quantitative results of physical therapy treatments in an aquatic setting for individuals with Multiple Sclerosis.Method: PRISMA guidelines were used to carry out the systematic review and meta-analysis. Three bibliographicdatabases were searched: MEDLINE, PEDro, and the Cochrane Library. Papers included in the study have thefollowing characteristics: (a) a randomized controlled trial design of research and (b) published in English. Thequality of the clinical trials included were evaluated according to a Jadad score and through meta-analysis.Results: After the elimination of duplicates, 116 records were screened. Among these, 11 Randomized ControlledTrials (RCTs) were included in the systematic review. Ten of these were involved in the meta-analysis. From thequalitative analysis, a larger number of studies were found with a high level of quality. Most of the results of thequantitative analysis were statistically significant (p< 0.05).Conclusion: Aquatic physical therapy is a valid means of rehabilitation for people with Multiple Sclerosis. Theintegration of this methodological approach with conventional physical therapy is recommended. Nevertheless,more studies, a larger number of participants, and short-, medium-, and long-term follow-up are required toconfirm current results.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
