Standing Up in Multiple Sclerosis (SUMS)

People with severe, progressive Multiple Sclerosis (MS) spend much of their day sitting. In response, secondary physical and psychosocial complications can occur. Effective self-management strategies, feasible to implement within people’s homes, are needed.This pragmatic, multi-centre, definitive, randomised controlled trial (RCT) with blinded outcome assessments at baseline, 20 and 36 weeks post-baseline and full economic evaluation aimed to assess the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a home-based, self-managed, standing frame programme. The intervention group was asked to stand for a minimum of 30 minutes, three times weekly, over 20 weeks.

The study results have been published in The Lancet and can be viewed on the ECTRIMS online library and a short video of participants' experiences of the standing frame can be viewed on the study website.