The effectiveness of physical, psychological, and functional interventions in treating clients with multiple sclerosis: a meta-analysis

Abstract

This article provides a meta-analysis of the current best evidence for the use of occupational therapy with clients with multiple sclerosis (MS). A review of the literature identified 23 articles that examined the effectiveness of occupational therapy-related treatments on clients with MS. Meta-analytic analysis suggests that occupational therapy-related treatments were effective in treating the deficits associated with MS (r = .52), particularly for outcomes in the capacity and ability (r = .52; e.g., muscle strength, range of motion, mood) and task and activity (r = .57; e.g., dressing, bathing, ambulation) levels. A review of the research designs used to study MS suggests that more rigorous research is necessary to fully understand treatment effectiveness. Further, more research must be done to establish the effectiveness of occupational therapy treatment at the life role level.