Hello
Just wanted to ask - the amount of times I am tripping up and stumbling is now over 200 times a day. I know I have hospital appointments coming up but is this typical with other MSers? I am still in limbo but MS is in the family. I seem to be getting nowhere fast in the diagnosis process but deteriorating rapidly in the symptoms stakes. I also have jumpy vision. I use a stick - have experimented with 2 sticks but I still stumble. I don’t have any numbness and it happens on different surfaces with different shoes/slippers on so isn’t a regular pattern to it.
Any suggestions?
Spiderwoman
Hi, sounds like a classic case of foot drop. yes, this is a very common MS symptom.
I first began with tripping/stumbling/falling back in 1998.
It was many years later that I found out about FES. Have you heard of this?
It is a system whereby a sensor goes into your shoe and wires go up your legs, affixed to muscle sensors. As you put your foot down, an impulse makes your legs lift.
I know a few folk who use the system and say it is marvelous!
But if you have trouble lifting your feet clear of the ground, then maybe FES won`t help you.
There are other bits of kit which could helo. You need to see a physio and ask them what they think might help.
Trouble with FES is funding. Some PCTs fund it but not all do. Bit of a postcode lottery, i`m afraid.
Hope this has helped.
luv Pollx
Hi Poll
Thanks for replying to my post. I’ll certainly investigate FES - have seen a few messages about it on here but not really known what it is. Has it helped you?
I did see a physio for a while - my specialist thought it would be a good idea. However, he abandoned the sessions 2 months leater saying it wasn’t working despite the fact I practiced the exercises at home like mad. I’ll also read up on foot drop cos again that’s a term I don’t know much about.
Thanks again for the useful info. I’ve got another GP appt next week, if I get anything sensible out of him I’ll update you.
Kind Regards
Spiderwoman
Hi again, no I wasnt ever informed about FES, when it could have helped me, . Ive been a full time wheelie for around 8 years now. Before that i used a stick, then a zimmer frame, then a wheeled walker. I had got so bad, that i dreaded getting out of bed every day. The knackeredness was unbelievable!
I started using a wheelie when outside…if you can keep yourself on your pins, that`d be the best thing to do.
But when falls are becoming a real threat to our safety, we have to do what`s best. For me, it was wheelchairs.
Hope you don`t have to go down that route…for a long time.
But having said that, I am a firm believer that life in a wheelie ain`t as bad as we fear.
luv Pollx
Hi. I know exactly what you mean about the stumbling. The same thing happens to me, along with leg spasms at the same time. It makes walking anywhere feel like you’re really taking your life in your hands! My Physio picked up on it at our first appointment last week and she’s sent a referral off to orthotics to have me fitted for a leg brace. This brings the front of the foot up so that my toes won’t scuff the floor as I can’t lift my foot up normally. She also gave me a walking stick, but I just can’t get to grips with it - I think they must take some coordination to use (i tried to play piano when I was younger but kept getting my hands knotted up!!) Hope you find a solution soon - I know how frustrating and annoying this problem can be. Take care. X