Kinesiophobia in stroke patients, multiple sclerosis and parkinson’s disesase

Abstract

Background: Stroke (S), multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s disease (PD) are chronic neurological diseases that are a challange for public health and represent a real social problem. Physical activity (PA) improves functional performance, reduces various symptoms in PD and MS, in stroke-reduced neurological impairment of patients and provides a chance for independence. One of the main obstacles in successful rehabilitation is patients’ movement passivity. The reason might be the psychological aspects, in particular fear of movement—kinesiophobia. Aim: To determine how many patients with S, MS, and PD suffer from kinsiophobia and what factors influence this process. Methods: Fifty patients after stroke, eighty one MS patients and sixty one PD patients were consecutively recruited from hospital and outpatients clinics. The sociodemographic data, self-assesment of fitness, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain, Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK) and The Modified Baecke Questionnarie for Older Adults for physical activity were collected. A score >37 was considered to indicate a high level of kinesiophobia according to the TSK. Results: High level of kinesiophobia was shown in 66.67% of the subjects. TSK medians in particular illnesses were above the cut-off score and amounted: S—42.50 points; MS—38 points; PD—42.00 points. Regression showed 15% of fluctuation of variance (R2 = 0.1498; p < 0.0001), where regression factor showed: for mobility self-assessment: b = −0.2137 and for the age b = 0.0065. Conclusions: Kinesiophobia among the patients suffering from S, MS and PD concerns most of the subjects. Predictors of kinesiophobia are: limitations connected with functioning and age. The meaning of kinesiophobia in neurological disorders requires further research.