No, not everyone with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) stops walking, but walking difficulties are a very common symptom, affecting many, though most can still walk years after diagnosis with management strategies like physical therapy, assistive devices (canes, walkers, AFOs), and medications, with many adapting to maintain mobility. While some people with MS may eventually need a wheelchair, many find ways to stay active and mobile for decades, though symptoms like fatigue, weakness, spasticity, balance issues, and foot drop can significantly change their gait.
How Multiple Sclerosis Affects Gait and Walking. Difficulty in walking is among the most common mobility limitations in multiple sclerosis. The term “gait” refers more specifically to the manner or pattern of walking (for example unsteady gait).
Muscle weakness can occur in any part of the body. You may feel the disease has not allowed you to maintain your usual activity level and your muscles have lost strength or you tire quickly. A decline in physical function and mobility can lead to falls and the loss of independence.
This video busts the myth that if you have MS you will end up in a wheelchair. MS is different for everybody and not every person diagnosed with MS will end up in a wheelchair. 80% of people with MS don't consider themselves as having severe symptoms or disabilities.
Primary progressive MS affects around 10 to 15% of people with MS. In this type of MS, clear periods when your disability stops or gets a bit better are extremely rare. Instead, your condition begins with mild symptoms that slowly get worse. Secondary progressive MS follows relapsing MS.
Lifestyle and home remedies
The 6 Minute Walk Test is a sub-maximal exercise test used to assess aerobic capacity and endurance. The distance covered over a time of 6 minutes is used as the outcome by which to compare changes in performance capacity.
Muscle spasms and stiffness: Formally called spasticity, this symptom can range from mild feelings of muscle tightness to severe and painful spasms, according to the National MS Society, and it most commonly affects the legs.
However, with the right exercises, it's possible to manage these symptoms more effectively and dare I say it, even become stronger. Squats and leg presses are two powerful exercises that can significantly improve leg strength for individuals with MS.
What are the early symptoms of multiple sclerosis?
Characteristics of the MS gait pattern
You may walk more slowly, with shorter steps. You may lack confidence when you walk, leading to hesitation and stumbling. You might feel unsteady when turning or walking. You might find placing your foot on the ground difficult.
To follow the International Standards of Measurement, gait speed should be expressed in m/s. Collectively, the range for normal WS for adults is between 1.2 and 1.4 m/s. Others reported WSs in m/min to be compatible with other energy and cadence measurements.
The 6-6-6 walking rule is a viral fitness trend: walk for 60 minutes (briskly) with a 6-minute warm-up and a 6-minute cool-down, ideally at 6 a.m. or 6 p.m., for 6 days a week, making it a simple, low-impact routine for improved heart health, energy, and mood, according to health.com, Healthline https://www.healthline.com/health-news/666-walking-trend-weight-loss?ref=healthshots.com, Vogue, Healthshots, and Medium. It's praised for being accessible, requiring no special equipment, and fitting easily into busy schedules, reframing walking as a consistent ritual.
Assessments of balance and walking are often performed in rehabilitation of people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The Functional Gait Assessment (FGA) is a test of walking balance including challenging items such as walking with a narrow base of support, with eyes closed, and backward.
The exact cause of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is unknown, but it's triggered by a combination of genetic susceptibility, environmental factors (like low Vitamin D, infections, smoking, and stress), and immune system dysfunction that leads the body to attack its own nervous system. Triggers that can worsen existing MS include heat, infections, stress, lack of sleep, and childbirth, while factors like smoking, obesity, and low sun exposure increase risk or severity.
For many, fatigue is considered to be the single most debilitating symptom, surpassing pain and even physical disability. Fatigue also imposes significant socioeconomic consequences, including loss of work hours and in some instances, loss of employment.
Eating foods high in saturated fats can harm your health. Red meat and full-fat dairy products should be eaten less. They can cause inflammation, making MS symptoms worse. says, “Dietary changes can significantly impact the management of MS.”
Walking for forty minutes a day is an excellent low-impact workout suitable for all ages and requires no special equipment. Regular walking helps maintain heart health by reducing blood pressure and lowering the risk of heart disease due to its aerobic nature.
The 333 walking method, also known as Japanese Interval Walking Training (IWT), is a simple yet effective workout alternating 3 minutes of slow walking with 3 minutes of brisk (fast) walking, repeated several times (often 5 times for 30 mins), to boost cardiovascular fitness, strength, and metabolism without high impact, improving heart health, muscle tone, and glucose control. It's a low-impact, time-efficient routine developed by Japanese researchers for improving fitness and preventing lifestyle diseases, ideal for all ages.
Recently, the American Thoracic Society developed guidelines for the 6MWT in clinical settings. In healthy subjects, the 6-min walk distance (6MWD) ranges from 400 to 700 m, the main predictor variables being gender, age and height.
Here are eight things you can try to improve your ability to walk with MS.
Physiological changes, and subsequent sleep responses, were recorded in a male subject during and following 338 miles of continuous walking and consequent sleep deprivation.
Walking for 30 minutes at a brisk pace covers a distance of 2.0 to 2.5 km and burns about 125 calories (520 kiloJoules). This amount may not seem like much, but if you walked five days a week within one year you would burn over 32,000 calories which would burn off more than 5 kg of fat.
Among people with MS, 41% reported having difficulty walking, including 13% with inability to walk at least twice a week. Of those with difficulty walking, 70% said it was the most challenging aspect of having MS. Of those with inability to walk at least twice a week, 74% said it disrupted their daily lives.
Neurological examination
There are some simple tests that a neurologist may carry out if they suspect MS. These involve checking your movement, coordination, vision, balance and reflexes. They can indicate if and where any damage to central nervous system has taken place.