Research:Falling and activity

EpubSosnoff et al. Falls and physical activity in persons with multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler Int. 2012;2012:315620.

Objectives: To examine the association between fall history and physical activity using an objective measure of physical activity (i.e., accelerometry) in MSers.

Design: A community-based sample of 75 ambulatory MSers volunteered for the investigation. Participants self-reported fall history in the last year, underwent a neurological exam to determine Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score, and wore an accelerometer around the waist for 7 consecutive days to determine physical activity.

Results: Overall, 37 MSers (49.3% of the sample) reported falling in the last year with 28 of the 37 falling more than once. Msers who fell in the last year had a significantly lower number of steps/day than nonfallers (3510 versus 4940 steps/day; P < .05). However, when controlling for disability status there was no statistically significant difference between fallers and nonfallers (4092 versus 4373 steps/day; P > .05).


Conclusions: Collectively, the findings suggest that fall history may have little impact on current physical activity levels in MSers.



"These result complement an audit we have just finished. In our audit the best predictor of falls was the need for an assistive walking device - i.e. foot splint, stick or walker - which is clearly associated with level of disability. Why is this topic important? Because MSers also have poor bone health and are signficantly increased risk of having fractures. Therefore it is important to prevent fractures; this can be done by treating thin bones and trying to prevent falls. The former is easier than the latter to do."

I would appreciate it if you could complete  this short survey to see if your MS team are taking this issue seriously




Other posts of interest on this topic:


20 May 2012
BACKGROUND: Quantitative posturography has been reported as a reliable tool to measure balance in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). However, data on its diagnostic accuracy in predicting the occurrence of falls are ...
25 Jul 2011
Conclusions: Factors associated with falls in MS'ers are similar to those in other populations with neurological diseases. Despite the high incidence of falls, fewer than 50% of MS'ers receive information about prevention of ...
05 Dec 2011
Background: Falls among persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) are a serious health concern and the percentage of people restricting activity due to concerns about falls is not known. Mobility function and accumulated ...

10 Jun 2012
If you are having falls you need to be assessed by a physiotherapist to see if anything can be done to reduce the number and severity of your falls. Your other medications need to be reviewed; some of them may exacerbate ...

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