Many people with MS have some difficulties with walking, which could arise from a number of different causes. Stumbling or tripping may have been one of the first symptoms you noticed. However, although walking problems are common in MS, they may have another cause, so it is important to get advice from a health professional.
Walking problems vary considerably from one person with MS to another. Common difficulties are:
A symptom called foot drop can be experienced by some people with MS. This is when the front part of the foot does not lift up correctly when the leg does, and so it may drag or catch on the floor.
In MS, many of these problems are initially caused by slowed or altered nerve conduction, which can make your muscles feel weak or suffer spasticity or stiffness. Instructions from the brain to the legs and sensory feedback from the body can be impaired. This makes coordinating the muscle movements harder and require more concentration. Some people with MS have more trouble with walking when they try to do other things at the same time.
Other MS symptoms can have a large impact on walking too. If your vision is blurred or double, or you have altered depth perception, you might find it difficult to place your feet accurately or judge steps and kerbs. Problems with balance, dizziness and tremor can affect walking and so can pain. You may feel less confident, or hold yourself awkwardly when you walk in order to reduce pain elsewhere in the body. These postural habits can produce knock-on problems themselves. Walking like this requires more effort which can contribute to fatigue, and holding the body awkwardly can stress other joints and cause long-term damage.
People with MS who have walking difficulties advise getting help early, so as to prevent this damage making life more difficult in the long run.
The best way forward depends on what is causing the walking difficulties. A health professional such as a GP, MS nurse or physiotherapist can advise you, but here are some tips and techniques that may help. See also the links and references below.
Walking aids can include sticks, rollators and other equipment to help stabilise you when walking. Trekking poles
I find using my stick makes me feel a lot less vulnerable. I am less likely to fall over and my “drunken” swaying is reduced. I walk a bit faster. It’s also a bit of a shield: if I do bump into people, they’re a lot more understanding when they see the stick
Harriet
