Walking ability, balance and accidental fallsin persons with Multiple Sclerosis

(1)

Y

lv

a N

il

sa

g

å

r

d

W

alk

in

g a

bil

ity

, b

ala

nc

e a

nd a

cc

id

en

ta

l f

all

s i

n p

ers

on

s w

ith M

S

2008 issn 1652-4063 isbn 978-91-7668-631-7

Ylva Nilsagård is a registered physiotherapist with specialist qualifications in the field of neurology. She has been working as a physiotherapist within different neuro-logical settings since 1991 and is presently working in an MS-team, employed at the Department of Physiotherapy in Örebro University Hospital. During 2004 to 2008, she has been conducting her research project at the Health Academy, Örebro University.

Walking and balance disability is common in persons with MS and may lead to accidental falls. The symptoms may be exaggerated due to heat-sensitivity and, thus, further negatively impact activity and participation. Interventions aiming to reduce the impact of heat-sensitivity need to be evaluated. Standar-dised measures are required to evaluate interventions, describe the impact of disease, and to follow the course of MS. The possibilities and limitations of such measures need to be illuminated. Knowledge with regard to accidental falls in persons with MS is rather sparse. By gaining increased knowledge of frequency and circumstances regarding accidental falls, more attention can be directed to this phenomenon in clinical practice. With the possibility of predicting an increased risk of falling, interventions aiming to reduce the frequency of falling can be designed.

This dissertation presents different aspects of walking and balance abilities and accidental falls in persons with MS using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Both subjective and objective aspects, and the evaluation of me-asures in terms of reliability, validity and predictive values, are presented.