how do you walk?

[derby42]

here i go again. . How do people walk? Im asking because when my ms became apparant i walked wobbly and slowly. Sometimes like my feet were in concrete and other times they just felt weak. Now though i feel twisted. I step out with my good leg and it feels right but my other leg goes out and it feels like that side of my body isnt in line and it all seems to twist towards the right of me. Almost like my pelvis is twisted and when i try to walk normally i have to go really slowly and it hurts. Can ms do this?

[Nick]

Yes!

 

One of the earliest signs I had of MS was this strange walking. I used to be very fit and walked and cycled a lot. I would start out alright (normal) but then, after a mile or so it was as if I had done something to my ankle, it became progressively worse during the walking until I had to stop. Over time this effect got worse and the so called 'dropped foot' effect took over. This was different, it is like you suddenly didn't quite know where your foot was and you ended up dragging it along. Your body at this point tries to compensate and your gait becomes lopsided. This is the time where you need to start corrective action by the use (in my case ) of sticks. On top of all this you can also get the vertigo effects which again is different, this gives you the wobbles.

 

The problem for me anyway was my approach to combatting these situations. Initially after diagnosis I was trying to 'get fit' thinking that by working at it the thing would simply go away. This caused a lot of 'side' problems , twisted knees, frustration and grazed arms when I fell over !!!

I now recognise that this thing is a permanent feature, a condition if you like. Working on this front and starting to understand the weird nature of such neurological problems I now have a better approach.

Exercise is just so important to well being and MS. As things have progressed my walking has deteriorated (MS wise) However my understanding of it has improved and its really a case of making sure that I walk with a 'corrected gait' I physically have to tell myself to take it real slow and to 'get vertical' thus avoiding the lopsided effect. I don't try and overcome anything now. I simply plan out what I can achieve and what assistance I need to achieve that.

 

A lot of people don't understand the amount of brain power it takes to walk. Clearly it is a big amount ! That accounts for MS Fatigue coming on when you do something as complicated as that.

Its also very important that you do come to some conclusion yourself about this. Its very very easy to give up on it ! Try not to do that

 

 

Nick

[Stumbler]

It would be a good idea to see if you could get a referral to a neuro-physiotherapist. They can have a look at you, see which muscles are being lazy and provide specific exercises to help.

 

[Christina]

When I walk my worse right leg gets thrown out to the side and I no longer walk in a line. Sounds a bit similar to yours?

 

Chris x

[derby42]

Thanks folks. . Yes chris it does sound similar. Feels like im numb from the buttock down. Im not though but the muscles font seem to work well though. Im not giving up nick im going around the house very slowly in order to walk straight but it hurts my back when i do that. I have a neuro physio john but she packed me off to a regular physio cos of my back. See them both together in 3 weeks.

[Scully]

How do I walk?

Probably look a bit like a thunderbird puppet, after a few yards, my legs seem to out of whack, and seemingly not talking to each other.

My left leg also shoots forward and outwards and slaps on the ground.

 

But I can still get around, which is a blessing. Have a Neuro-physio who is great and helps a lot, often standing meon a balance board in front of a mirror so I can see what's happening.

 

I do regular stretching exercises, and also try to have some time with the Wi-Fit and balance board. They also use a Wi-fit at physio.

 

Think it's really important to exercise these belligerent limbs and core muscles.

 

Scully

[derby42]

hi scully. . What exercises do you do on the wii fit? I have one so ill have a go.

[Scully]

Hello,

 

I tend to stick to the balance exercises, they have a category of their own.

There is one where you stand on the balance board, and, tilting your body you have to get various balls to go down holes. It helps with the core stability and it's fun too.

 

Some of the yoga exercises are pretty good, but some are way too advanced for me, but the first ones are pretty good for balance.

 

You can move on to some or the aerobic exercises for general fitness, and it tells you how long you've been exercising and advises breaks too!

 

Try it out and see how you get on.

 

Scully

[PaulX]

It was problems with walking any distance that prompted me to go back again to the doctors and finally get an idea what my problem was. Unfortunately for me it turned out to be MS. Bum.

 

I too can set off ok but then gradually things go to pot and the right leg becomes progressively heavier and more difficult to make it do what I want. According to my physio this is having the effect of twisting me slightly.

 

I have just tried out a pair of hiking/trekking poles and early indications would are they do help, especially when the legs get a bit tired. I picked up a decent pair from a local camping shop for

[derby42]

Gonna get my son to set it up soon. Thanks.

[derby42]

ive read about those poles before. Someone else with ms said they were good. What do they look like?

[derby42]

can i also ask if things happen gradually like nicks foot or was it sudden. Does it take hours days weeks or even months? Thanks.

[tickettaker]

Its due to my leg that i went to the doctor in the first place.

 

I've had bad knees for about 8 years. It started on a trip to the states where i had to do a lot of driving. It ended up i couldn't drive for more than an hour without my knee really hurting. The only thing i could do was walk round the car, then bend my knee and......crack. ahhh relief. on and on this went both knees.

 

Back home i was told my knee cap was nowhere near where it should be. They said something like an overdeveloped quad had pulled them out of line. So physio gave me excersises. The result was that i eventually started running, sounds crazy but the routine of the stretching involved really helped and since then i have had no problems.

 

Except, i put down my leg not feeling right to a running injury, until i couldn't really run and then i hadn't ran in 2 months and it was still there. The numbness was one thing, pins and needless, another, a guy that can run 15k in 1hr 22 mins now struggled to run for an hour and clear 10k. My leg just feels wrong. like less weight in it. I don't even think i could run for 10 mins now. I stuggle at my job if i get a lot of work in a small place.

 

I feel i walk funny at times and fine at others, but today was bad and i think i develop a sort of step on the side of my foot so I know where it is.

 

Thankfully, my doc believed it was all wrong when i said it.

[Nick]

Its not quite like that Derby,

 

The overall effect is I am sad to say there to stay. On a day to day basis however it changes........Confused? so am I !!! Its like I start off OK but can never walk any distance as the 'effect' increases very quickly. Thats the bit that is variable........dependent on many factors , temperature, stress level, how well you are anyway (things like colds and flu have a detrimental effect)

 

With regard to walking its also a fact that I can only walk a little way and then if I stop for awhile I do recover a bit so can do a bit more. With me its my whole right side that has the same effect. For example when I am tied I can't write or use my right hand. My right eye loses vision (you could say that the optic neuritis is more noticeable when fatigued. and a few other things as well. Continence being one issue.

 

Another complication where others will be able to help is the fact that I have secondary progressive MS, really that means my symptoms have a more 'constant' pattern as opposed to remitting relapsing where the MS effects may come and go completely. This is a danger for anyone reading these kinds of posts , as you may well now understand having read about the whole 'MS saga ' it is so very complicated, so it is difficult to be specific. A lot of things have a common theme but you should never read into that that this is how the thing would effect you.

Don't be sacred by any of this it may not apply to you.

Edited 9 Sep 2011, 9:03 pm by Nick

[druidsam]

i can walk ok once i get started, getting moving is the hard part for me, my ankle joints and achillies tendons dont like the first 5 minutes of walking but after that they seem to accept that im moving and behave themselves, i also have a slight limp thats with me all the time, dont know where it came from but it looks like im stuck with it

[derby42]

thanks for all your replies. I find this very helpful although yes nick youre right. . Confusing!

[derby42]

What about standing can you stand for long cos i feel weak but that might be my back? But even last year i found standing for too long made me weak.

[Nick]

Once again when it comes to MS it's all to do with the brain working overtime to get around the damaged routes and perform the tasks you want.

 

Such a simple thing just to stand ? No! It all takes energy. With MS you need a lot more of that 'brain power' just to do things that others find so simple.

 

The 'balance' in that is doing just the right amount, not to much of this, not to much of the other.

I don't have that much problem in standing, its getting there that's difficult. Good exercise with MS is all about doing small amounts of things that trouble you. For instance a good one with me is to tap with my right foot. very very difficult ! tap, tap ,tap, then try that when at the same time waving your right arm! Wow that's hard!

 

All that is good, so try getting an exercise that involves the difficulties of standing. I know lots of people use Wi Fit boards..........I never got around to it but prefer to go to a weekly exercise class with such things in mind.

 

Hope that helps

 

Nick

Edited 10 Sep 2011, 2:03 pm by Nick

[derby42]

Thanks nick yes it did help. It helps me when i think back to last year when my mate left me standing while she stalked the market. I couldnt understand why i found it so hard just to stand there waiting. I felt like my strength was draining out of my ankles. Now i see what my brain was doing. Balance didnt seem an issue then but now it is. Having said that im now unsure as to whats causing what since they found a disc problem. Its tempting to think that many of my current probs might improve if they sort my back out but im scared to be too hopeful. Tap tap tap . . Ill remember that. Not so sure about waving at the same time tough!

[Nick]

It just reminds me when you say that of a horrible experience I had when I was first 'in trouble'

 

It was near Christmas and I felt OK. We had gone out shopping and my wife had said don't worry about coming along, just stay in the car. Of course I did not ! I waited until she had gone and then I walked alone into the busy shopping street thinking I would just have a quick look around then go back to the car. As I got a bit further from our car I started to struggle. Part of that was the busy street. Walking a busy street is very very difficult with MS in that your brain does loads of calculations working out how to avoid other moving people. A rapid escalation of the MS effect took hold and I ended up 'stranded' leaning against a wall, suddenly thinking "I'm stuck!' I couldn't walk, I just wanted to sit down and cry with frustration at it all. This was really horrible! I felt 'ordinary' yet the whole of my surroundings seemed to be out to get me! It was definitely a close to panic moment. I just did not know what to do.

 

I can laugh about this now (Which is worth knowing) but boy at the time it was desperate!

[derby42]

That does sound awful nick. Do you think anxiety affects being outdoors too? I know i can get about in the house sometimes and i foot feel too bad but as soon as i step out of the front door im a total wreck and struggle to even get to my car. Im not sure how much of this is just sheer panic.

[Emmy]

derby42,

On the outside thing, for me that's because of the unevenness - I'm OK in my house, and in my office building, which has fabulous smooth flat floors, but pavements, up and down over kerbs etc. is all terribly daunting!

More generally, only just found this forum, and it is amazing reading posts from people with exactly the same symptoms, and dealing with some of the same emotional impacts, as me. Thank you all!

Emmy x

[Christina]

Welcome Emmy!

 

Glad you found us

 

Chris

[derby42]

Welcome emmy. Im new too and everyone here is fab. x

[Dianni]

Hi Emmy and

 

 

 

I went to my GP 3 yrs ago next month because I was overwhelmingly tired. After a thorough exam, she gave me a script for something or other. As I was leaving her office, she asked me why I was walking funny. I'd no idea I WAS walking funny. She asked me to take a seat again, did some more tests and immediatley referred me to a neurologist. So in answer to your question Derby, how do you walk, I'd have to say funnily!

 

 

(oh and probably, as little as possible!)

 

 

Hugs

 

Di

 

xxx