Equipping People To Make Sense Of What They Are Told
Contributing Factors
Muscle weakness - a common cause of gait difficulty. Weakness can cause problems
such as toe drag, foot drop, “vaulting” (a compensatory technique that involves raising
the heel on the stronger leg to make it easier to swing the weaker leg through),
compensatory hip hike, trunk lean, or circumduction (swinging leg out to the side).
Balance - Balance problems typically result in a swaying and drunken type of gait
known as ataxia.
Dizziness.
Fatigue – increases gait problems as fatigue levels rise.
Foot drop and other gait abnormalities.
Spasticity.
Sensory Deficit - severe numbness in the feet prevents a person feel the floor or
know where their feet are (sensory ataxia).
These problems have a variety of causes, some of which may not be MS related.
Once it is understood what's causing the problems, there are techniques for managing
them.
Walking Difficulty (also known as gait) is a common mobility limitation problems
for some people with multiple sclerosis. As with all MS symptoms, they affect people
differently, and can vary from one day to another.
For some, feeling unsteady is a brief, passing sensation; for others it may be a
more lasting problem. Symptoms might mean you are wobbly on your feet from time to
time, or you might need to move with more care than you were able to do to avoid
losing balance.
Changes in the brain and spinal cord caused by MS can lead to problems with posture,
balance and movement. People can also develop secondary problems, due to inactivity
which will add to weakness and stiffness, which is sometimes painful. As well as
this, when someone repeatedly sits or moves in a particular way, the brain and muscles
adapt to this pattern, which become increasingly difficult to change.
Every person's walking (gait) problems needs to be examined on an individual basis.
Exercise, physical therapy, walking aids and, in some cases, a review of medications
can help. Careful evaluation by a trained health care professional is essential for
creating an appropriate therapy program.
