DOI: 10.11648/j.ijsspe.20261102.12 ISSN: 2575-1611

Effects of Low-Load Exercises with Blood Flow Restriction on Shoulder of a Multiple Sclerosis Patient with Shoulder Tendinopathy: A Case Study

Zahra Begi, Bahram Tabatabaei, Nastaran Bahadorani
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Blood flow restriction (BFR) training involves placing an inflatable cuff around the proximal part of a limb to partially restrict arterial inflow during exercise. When combined with low-load resistance exercise (LLRE), this approach has been shown to produce improvements in muscle strength and hypertrophy comparable to those achieved with conventional high-load resistance training in healthy individuals. Through its proximal effects, LLRE combined with BFR may also enhance muscle strength and size in individuals with supraspinatus tendinopathy. Although high-load resistance training is effective for increasing muscle strength and hypertrophy, its application in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) is often limited because of fatigue. This case report describes the proximal effects of an LLRE+BFR program in a patient with MS and supraspinatus tendinopathy. Our case was a 48-year-old woman with a 5-year history of relapsing-remitting MS, who presented with right shoulder pain and muscle weakness in the right shoulder at rest and while elevation. She received a LLRE+BFR program for her right shoulder and aerobic exercises based on the BFR protocols in 12 sessions over 4 weeks. Outcome measures were collected before the intervention and after 4 weeks and included: 1) strength of supraspinatus and four scapular stabilizer muscles. 2) thickness of supraspinatus and upper trapezius muscles. 3) thickness of supraspinatus tendon 4) pain pressure threshold of supraspinatus and deltoid muscles. 5) Supraspinatus muscle echogenicity. Improvement was observed in the strength of supraspinatus and scapular stabilizers. Thickness of supraspinatus and upper trapezius muscles and pain pressure threshold in the supraspinatus and deltoid muscles also increased. Furthermore, supraspinatus echogenicity and tendon thickness decreased. The patient experienced a significant improvement in all outcomes following the use of a LLRE+BFR program. This program may be an option for strengthening training with less stress in MS people with supraspinatus tendinopathy.

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