Walking difficulties or trouble with balance affect the majority of people with multiple sclerosis, and 70% of people with MS-related walking difficulties report that trouble walking is the most challenging aspect of MS. Yet, 40% of people with MS "rarely or never" discuss walking problems with their doctor, according to the results of a June 2011 survey conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) and Acorda Therapeutics ®, Inc.

The results of the survey of more than 1200 adults living with MS were presented today at the 5th Joint Triennial Congress of the European and Americas Committees for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS/ACTRIMS) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Approximately two thirds of people with MS (65%) report having trouble walking, the inability to walk or difficulty maintaining balance at least twice per week. In addition, a majority of people living with MS report that they experienced walking problems within the first few years afterdiagnosis. Among people diagnosed with MS within the past five years, 58% report experiencing a mobility issue at least twice a week.

According to the survey findings, younger people with MS are less likely to initiate a conversation about trouble walking with a healthcare provider. On average, people with MS aged 41 or younger who do discuss trouble walking with their doctor initiate the conversation only 46% of the time.

"These significant new findings show that many adults living with MS are hesitant to speak up about walking difficulties, and that younger patients are even less likely to proactively discuss these issues with a doctor," said Nicholas LaRocca, Ph.D., Vice President for Health Care Delivery and Policy Research at NMSS. "Clearly we need to encourage and empower people with MS to discuss walking impairment with their doctor, including newly diagnosed patients who may be experiencing only mild problems with walking ability or balance so that these issues can be addressed." 

The survey also found that both men and women with MS who report difficulty walking⁽¹⁾ believe that it can put them at risk, but that women are especially concerned that walking problems can be hazardous:

An estimated 78% of these women and 62% of these men report that trouble walking "makes getting around dangerous."

Additional findings related to falls revealed that:

Among adults with MS who experience difficulty walking, 60% indicate that they have fallen and 34% of those individuals say that a fall resulted in an injury.

Typically, people who have experienced falls report having fallen about three times in the prior six months.

"To get help when walking difficulties arise, people with MS must take a more active role in discussing these issues with their doctors and other members of their care team. Options are available to treat walking impairment and they need to be pursued," added LaRocca.

⁽¹⁾ Defined as experiencing trouble walking and/or inability to walk at least twice a week

Walking Difficulties Also Shown to Affect Financial and Social Wellness

Among all people with MS, six in ten (61%) report that it has interfered with their ability to work, resulting in a loss of personal income. Many people with MS who have trouble walking and are currently employed indicated that they had to make lifestyle changes, such as switching to a new career (21%) or stopping work altogether for a period of time (21%), because of their walking problems.

Survey results also showed:

79% of adults with MS who are employed report trouble walking has negatively impacted them in some way at work, including having to take days off, asking for special accommodations or reducing work hours, among others.

60% of people with MS who have experienced difficulties walking have had to miss at least one major personal event as a result.

32% of people with MS who have difficulty walking report that it has caused them to feel isolated.

"These survey findings indicate that many people with MS experience physical, financial and emotional challenges caused by walking impairment. With these striking findings, we hope that more people living with MS, including younger patients with mild to moderatesymptoms, will be motivated to discuss their mobility with their care team," said Andrew R. Blight, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Acorda Therapeutics.

About the Study
The online survey was conducted June 10-17, 2011 by Harris Interactive and was funded by the National MS Society and Acorda Therapeutics. The total sample included 1,246 adults over the age of 18 with MS in the United States. Results were weighted as needed for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online. No estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated; a full methodology is available upon request.

Source: PR Newswire Copyright © 2011 PR New