Can the iStep programme reduce fatigue?
People living with MS face many challenges. Sometimes these challenges make physical activity difficult, leading to longer periods of sitting. This can cause social isolation, an increase in disability, fatigue and walking difficulties.
Also, a lack of physical activity can increase a person’s risk of developing diseases like heart disease and stroke.
Exercise provides many benefits for people with MS, including easing disability and slowing disease progression. However, some people with MS prefer to do physical exercise as part of their daily lives instead of a structured and repetitive exercise programme carried out in a class or gym. Reducing the amount of time sitting can also be a helpful starting point for some people.
The researchers previously showed that an iSTEP-MS programme, based on regular physical activity and reduced sitting time, had benefits for fatigue, walking capacity and quality of life for people with MS.
About the project
This project builds on the positive results of iSTEP-MS. The researchers will recruit 190 people with MS to take part. The study is open to people with all types of MS provided they can walk independently, with or without a walking aid. A range of measurements will be taken before the programme, then 3 and 6 months later. After the first measurements, 95 people will take part in the iSTEP-MS intervention. The other 95 participants will continue with their usual care.
iSTEP-MS uses different strategies to change behaviour including setting physical activity goals, problem solving and building new habits. Participants receive support through four face-to-face sessions with a healthcare professional. The study takes place at several locations to see how well the intervention works when delivered by healthcare staff with different levels of qualifications.
Each participant will receive an iSTEP-MS handbook. As well as containing information, the handbook acts as a diary and allows the participant to record and monitor goals. A wearable activity tracker device will be provided to monitor their physical activity, set goals and receive reminders to move.
After 9 months, Dr Bailey and his team will look at the levels of physical activity, fatigue, sitting time and other measurements. They will use these to determine if the group taking part in the iSTEP-MS programme had become more physically active, and whether this reduced their fatigue and improved their quality of life.
How will it help people with MS?
iStep-MS could make a real difference for people with MS by improving access to physical activity programmes that help reduce fatigue and improve quality of life.
If iStep-MS is successful and cost-effective it could be included as part of routine care in settings like the NHS and MS centres. This would make it easier for more people with MS to benefit from physical activity programs tailored to their needs.
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