Effect of visual force biofeedback on balance control in people with Multiple Sclerosis- a Pilot Quasi-experimental study

Objective: The present study examined the effect of visual force biofeedback (VFB) training on balance control in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients. Design: Within- group subject design. Subjects: Ten adult volunteers with more than five years relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis and with balance disorder participated and performed six sessions of VFB training. Methods: All subjects stood on a force plate for 15 minutes totally in each session and the force that they generated was measured to provide a baseline for the research. They then participated in the intervention which consisted of standing upright on the force plate for 30 seconds ten times in each session, whilst receiving visual information about the force generated by each of their feet. Results: The results of paired-t tests have shown that the VFB condition produced a more stable balance than the baseline condition (p<.001) for reaction force (2.90 vs. 9.10), force symmetry (ML=34, MR=32.7 vs. ML= 38.70, MR= 29.60), and centre of pressure (7 vs. 23.1). Conclusion: Perceptual-motor training has an important rehabilitative role for MS patients with sensory-motor dysfunction.