Effects of Low-intensity Interval Walking With Blood Flow Restriction on Functional Capacity in Multiple Sclerosis

Participants will perform 12 training sessions over 6 weeks, including a 10-minute warm up and cool down period. Patients will perform 5 six-minute bouts of over ground intermittent walking exercise (1-minute walk/rest) with their habitual walking device at a prescribed speed maintained by a metronome, starting from 60 steps/minute. A fixed resting period of 3 minutes will follow each walking bout. During walking, participants will wear BFR bands at both tights. Before every walking bout, the bands will be tightened at a low intensity (max 40% of blood systolic pressure) and untied at the end of every walking bout when patients will be asked to grade their RPE (Borg Scale). Walking speed will be weekly increased by 3 steps/minute, if the previous level was well-tolerated by the patient.

Participants will perform 12 training sessions over 6 weeks. Patients will perform assisted over-ground walking for a total of around 40 minutes, inserted between a 10-minute warm-up and cool-down period. The patient will be encouraged by the same experienced physiotherapist to walk back and forth on 50-meter indoor flat corridor with their habitual walking device. Patient will be asked to walk without stopping until reaching an effort corresponding to a value of 8 out of 10 of the rating of perceived exertion (Borg scale). When the exertion level is reached, the patients will be allowed to rest sitting on a chair if necessary; after a suitable rest period, when patients express sufficient desire to start again, the training will restart