Effect of whole-body cryotherapy on body balance in patients with multiple sclerosis

Purpose: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is characterised by multifocal and damage disseminated in time to the central nervous system. This causes various clinical symptoms, including spastically increased muscle tone and balance disorders, which already occur in the early stages of the disease, increasing the frequency of falls, which negatively affects the mobility and independence of patients. Whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) is used in the rehabilitation of MS patients, however, there are no reports on the effect of WBC without subsequent kinesiotherapy on body balance in patients with MS. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of a series of 10 and 20 WBC without kinesiotherapy on the degree of disability assessed by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), muscle spasticity evaluated using the Modified Ashworth scale (MAS) and body balance in patients with multiple sclerosis. Methods: The study was completed by 51 patients, aged 23 to 65 years, with a disability grade of 3.5-6.5 on the EDSS scale and spasticity 0-3.0 assessed by the MAS. Patients were randomly assigned to the control group (n = 18) or the experimental group participating in 20 WBC sessions (n = 33). Balance assessment consisted of performing two, 30-second static tests on stabilometric platform, the first test with eyes open and the second one with eyes closed. During these tests, the centre of foot pressure displacement was monitored and analysed in real time. Results: A series of 20 daily WBC resulted in an improvement in the functional status of patients with multiple sclerosis in the form of a significant reduction in EDSS values and spasticity, both on the side with greater and less spasticity. Under the effect of whole-body cryotherapy treatments, there was slight improvement in the stability in patients with multiple sclerosis. Conclusions: Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that WBC, without subsequent targeted kinesiotherapy, are not sufficient to obtain clear and measurable benefits in the rehabilitation of patients with multiple sclerosis.