Managing falls
Falls are very common for people living with multiple sclerosis. Approximately 50 to 60% of people living with multiple sclerosis will have one or more falls in a 12 month period. Research shows, perhaps surprisingly, that the majority of falls actually occur inside the home.
Fear of falling can also lead to severely restricting your day-to-day activities so we want to equip you with the information to manage and prevent this.
As you may know many of your symptoms can contribute to the risk of falling, such as balance and mobility impairments, ankle joint contractures, muscle weakness, poor concentration and forgetfulness, urinary urgency and fatigue. Understanding exactly which combination of symptoms poses the greatest risk is absolutely crucial to designing effective interventions to prevent falls.
We recommend from both aerobic and strengthening exercises at least two times a week is important to reduce fatigue, improve mobility, and reduce the frequency and possibility of falling. There is also evidence that balance can be improved by functional exercises both individually prescribed or in a group exercise class. Exercises that improve balance and also lower limb/core muscle strength and stretching have been found to reduce your risk of falling.
If you would like to know more about preventing falls please contact MS connect on 1800 042 138 or msconnect@ms.org.au.
Learn more: publications and resources
Falls Prevention
Get Active - Preventing Falls Webinar
Download MS Webinar Notes - Preventing Falls (PDF). (Recorded May 2017)