Fry DK, Pfalzer LA, Chokshi AR, Wagner MT, Jackson ES
This study was designed to determine if a 10-week home exercise inspiratory training program in community-dwelling persons with MS improves pulmonary muscle strength and endurance. Forty-six ambulatory individuals with clinically diagnosed MS were randomly assigned to an intervention group that received 10 weeks of inspiratory muscle strength training (IMT) or a nontreatment control group. The intervention group demonstrated significantly greater improvement than the control group in maximal inspiratory pressure. When compared to the control group, no significant differences were noted for maximal expiratory pressure or maximal ventilation volume after training in the intervention group. Baseline and postexercise training comparison of secondary pulmonary expiratory outcomes were significant in the intervention group where as no significant changes were noted for the control group.
IMT significantly increased inspiratory muscle strength and resulted in generalized improvements in expiratory pulmonary function in persons with MS who have minimal to moderate disability.
Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy, 2007, 31(4), 162-72