Walking Distance as a Predictor of Falls in People With Multiple Sclerosis

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: People with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) experience falls, usually when walking and transferring. The aim was to investigate if walking distance and patient overestimate of walking distance are predictors of falls in PwMS. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted, with a single test occasion followed by prospective registration of falls for 3 months. All PwMS in Region Örebro County with a previously registered Expanded Disability Status Scale score between 3.0 and 7.0 in the Swedish MS Registry were invited to participate (n = 149). Altogether, data from 49 PwMS being relapse free for at least 3 months and with a confirmed Expanded Disability Status Scale between 1.5 and 7.0 upon study entry were analysed. RESULTS: Twenty‐two PwMS (45%) fell during the study period, providing information of 66 falls. Walking distance or overestimate of one's walking distance, as compared with test results, did not predict falls in this MS sample. DISCUSSION: Walking and standing activities are associated with numerous falls in PwMS. Our data do not clearly support routine measurements of walking distance in assessing individual fall risk. © 2015 The Authors. Physiotherapy Research International published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.