Spinal Cord Analysis in People with Multiple Sclerosis

Background. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune, inflammatory, and chronic disease which, under the effect of the wastes of myelin degradation occurs in the white matter of the brain, spinal cord, and visual nerves. The main complications of this disease are fatigue, muscle cramps, tremor, imbalance, and walking imbalance. Objectives. The purpose of this study is to investigate the spine orientation in people with multiple sclerosis. Methods. The statistical population of this study included all patients with MS in Kerman province and the sample of this study includes 30 patients with mild MS (mean age of 33.83±8.72 years, mean height of 159.77±4.54 cm, mean weight of 63.1±11.16 kg) and 30 healthy subjects (mean age of 31.07±8.84 years, mean height of 162.58±6.61 cm, mean weight of 61.43±11.3 kg), targeted randomly selected as the subjects. First, the patients were examined by a neurologist and the EDSS of each subject was evaluated. Then their demographic data including age, height, and weight were collected. For evaluation of spinal abnormalities including torticollis and forward head, shooting method with the use of -Power shot A1200 HD Canon camera, with 0.73 validity was used; and kyphosis and lordosis abnormalities were measured using a flexible ruler, the validity of the device in comparison with the radiography technique was reported by Thylatson and Borton (1991) as 93%. In research, Hart & Rose (1986) and Lowell et al. (1989) stated the reliability of this device as 97% and 84%, respectively, and scoliometer was used for scoliosis abnormalities. The validity of this device was reported by Guillemhem et al. as 0.87. Results. The results showed that there was a significant relationship between forward head, torticollis, and lordosis abnormalities in patients with mild MS and healthy subjects (p˂0.05), while there is significant relationship between kyphosis and scoliosis (p˂0.05). Conclusion. Regarding factors such as fatigue, muscle cramping, tremor, walking abnormalities in people with multiple sclerosis and observation of some spinal abnormalities in these individuals, the implementation of corrective exercises and programs to correct postures, in them, seems necessary.