First-Ever Assessment Developed for People Suffering from Exercise Intolerance

International Team Develops A Simple Method For Identifying Factors That Limit Exercise Capacity

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES, September 28, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Being able to exercise is often taken for granted. But for people who suffer from exercise intolerance, daily activities can easily trigger fatigue, shortness of breath, muscle soreness, or dizziness. Exercise intolerance is one of the disabling features of long COVID, Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and other neurological conditions. Tens of millions of people suffer from exercise intolerance worldwide.

During exercise, there is a complex symphony that occurs between the nervous system, the heart, the lungs, the muscles, and other systems of the body. Each system is like a puzzle piece; when joined with other puzzle pieces correctly, the full picture emerges. Building on this analogy, the full picture of why someone has trouble exercising can usually be determined through Cardiopulmonary Exercising Testing (abbreviated as CPET). CPET is considered to be the be the “Gold Standard” in advanced exercise testing, as dysfunction of individual systems—like puzzle pieces--can be ascertained.

Unfortunately, it is estimated that 95% of people with exercise intolerance do not receive this critically important advanced testing. There are a variety of reasons why: the testing is costly; it may not be covered by health insurance; there are not enough testing facilities; and physicians are often poorly versed in the need for the test. And some patients might simply be too ill to undergo a CPET, which is physically demanding.

In order to address this problem, a new assessment, based on CPET, has been developed by an international team: Dr. Ben Weinstock of Brooklyn, New York and Dr. Rudy Capildeo of Essex, United Kingdom. WeCanAcT—The Weinstock-Capildeo Neurological Activity assessment-- is based on decades of CPET research and experience. Exercise tolerance is evaluated via a ten-category analysis. Although it does not fully reproduce the detailed conclusions produced by a formal CPET, it can serve as a valuable blueprint for evaluation and treatment. The result is a personalized, individualized, holistic analysis of a person’s strengths and weaknesses, viewed through the lens of exercise tolerance or intolerance.

Dr. Weinstock is a Doctor of Physical Therapy with over 35 years of experience treating patients suffering from complex medical problems. Dr. Capildeo is a recognized expert Neurologist with over 50 years of clinical, research, and teaching experience.

They have made the assessment freely available for clinical and research use. Dr. Capildeo states, “We hope that our work will raise awareness about the topic of exercise intolerance. Quality of life often depends on one’s ability to exercise. By focusing on the causes of exercise intolerance, an individual may be able to become exercise tolerant, thereby improving their quality of life.”

The assessment has been published in two books: Assessing Exercise Tolerance in Neurological Patients: WeCanAcT: The Weinstock-Capildeo Neurological Activity Tolerance Assessment, which is a clinician’s guide with over 200 references from peer-reviewed medical journals, and a version written for patients, Assessing Exercise Tolerance: A Patient Guide. The books are for people suffering from exercise intolerance, their caregivers, as well as for physicians, physical therapists, occupational therapists, personal trainers, exercise physiologists, and anyone else involved in the care and rehabilitation of people who must deal with exercise intolerance.

Each book contains a scoring guide, a template of WeCanAcT—The Weinstock-Capildeo Neurological Activity assessment, as well as valuable case studies. WeCanAcT can be considered to be a long overdue paradigm shift for the determination of patient’s suitability for exercises. It is a simple method to quickly identify factors that may implicate the presence of exercise intolerance.

The books are available for free on Kindle, and as low-cost e-books or paperback books.

Dr. Ben Weinstock
Weinstock Physical Therapy, PC
+1 347-821-6438
info@weinstockphysicaltherapy.com
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