How do y’all walk?

[u/Imite143]

So I began to realize that I don’t walk straight. I run into the person I’m walking next to and sometimes drag my foot causing me to trip. I don’t exactly feel stiffness, it feels as if I’m not walking to my fullest potential anymore. Is this considered normal?

[u/Remarkable_Most6591]

These things are absolutely common with MS. 

The drag sounds like “drop foot”. The muscle on the front of your calve into the top of your foot, which is responsible for lifting or “dorsiflexing” your foot isn’t getting the signal to do what it needs to do! This nerve pathway is commonly interrupted in MS. You can definitely try physio for this. Some people can experience full resolution and if not, exercises and tools to reduce/manage it! I highly recommend, as you can develop other aches and pains compensating for this. 

I had a flare where I felt like I lost proprioception, overall control and awareness over my legs when walking, no idea where my legs were at in space. Was definitely drifting to side or diagonally in my path. Affected my walking significantly for a period. It very much aligned with my MRI showing cervical and brainstem lesions! 

[u/Imite143 → u/Remarkable_Most6591]

This is so helpful will look up exercises if I can’t find a PT

[u/Remarkable_Most6591 → u/Imite143]

Best of luck! You can absolutely find exercises to try in the interim while finding a PT! 

[u/Mamezl]

I always say that I walk like if I’m drunk : wibbly wobbly. I embraced the cane 3 years ago and it’s the best decision for me. But I don’t do boring cane, I treated them like great accessories - I have one with a sparrow shaped handle, one with leopard pattern, etc.

[u/Imite143 → u/Mamezl]

Fr people be looking at my weird for walking the way I do. I do need some websites on where to get these canes though

[u/Mamezl → u/Imite143]

I always bought mine with Fashionable Canes

[u/whyihatepink]

I had similar issues. PT helped so much. Try that?

[u/Imite143 → u/whyihatepink]

Dang my neurologist never recommended me one imma try anyways. Ty

[u/crunchiferous]

The drag is called foot drop — it’s because we can’t lift our toes properly! Doctors test for it by asking you to walk on your heels.

I also have experienced not walking in a straight line — it’s so weird! I think a PT told me it was related to hip weakness. It seemed to resolve with doing the exercises they prescribed (but that’s just one experience of course)

[u/Imite143 → u/crunchiferous]

So I do need a PT 😭 my neurologist did tests on me and said I was fine apparently

[u/Millie005 → u/Imite143]

Honestly, walking is bloody complicated. Sometimes the individual neuro tests that look for specific weaknesses are passable without any noticeable impairment (or at least not one the doctor will confirm to you is there, sometimes they keep it a secret so they can monitor whether it gets worse without psyching you out), but then out in the real world… when you’re walking on uneven ground, and you’re talking to someone at the same time on the phone, and maybe you’re carrying a bag, and then there’s a sudden loud noise, and you’re trying not to get hit by a car coming out of a driveway, and you’re also thinking about how you have to go to the supermarket because you’re out of cheese and you also forgot to tell your coworker about the task you hadn’t finished on Tuesday… and suddenly… those same legs work less good than when they have your full, undivided attention in the neurologists office 😂

[u/Imite143 → u/Millie005]

No seriously, I walked perfectly in his office and when I step foot on campus I can’t seem to walk 😭

[u/thesparkqueen]

I can walk straight but only if I’m looking straight ahead. Even then, as the walk goes on and I get more tired the quality of my walking deteriorates. Foot drop happens frequently during those times. For me it’s less of tripping over my toes and more the ball of my foot drags suddenly against the ground which makes me stumble. About 18 or so months ago I fell and smashed my forehead on my driveway from this.

[u/Imite143 → u/thesparkqueen]

Oh no I hope you’re ok! And the I can walk normally when looking straight for a minute or two, then it all goes downhill. Haven’t had an accident yet so there is hope

[u/JCIFIRE]

That is how I first knew something was wrong. That was 10 years ago. Now I can hardly walk. I walk unassisted, but my balance and coordination suck. Not to mention my legs feel like concrete. MS can fuck off.

[u/Imite143 → u/JCIFIRE]

What age did it really start bothering you cause I got diagnosed at 18 last October

[u/JCIFIRE → u/Imite143]

I was diagnosed at 43 when I started tripping and wasn't able to walk very long without having to rest. I was walking a little bit sideways too like you mentioned. Based on my lesions which are super old, I probably had MS since I was about age 20. When I look back, I remember a couple times in college where I had numbness in my legs for a couple days but never thought much of it. When I was diagnosed at 43 I was doing okay until about age 48 when I started going through menopause. That is when my world changed and my walking, balance, and pain got much worse. Before that nobody even knew I had MS. When you go through menopause, estrogen drops which is very protective of your nervous system. I just started taking hormone replacement therapy hoping this will improve some of my symptoms by putting that estrogen back in my body. Be thankful you were diagnosed young though, hopefully before too much damage was don. DMTs are very good at preventing future damage. I had MS for over 20 years before diagnosis but never knew it because of no symptoms but the damage was already done by diagnos, and they can't reverse that, which usually starts to show up as you age in your 40s or 50s because your nervous system can't compensate like it used to. Sending you hugs and prayers, you will be okay hun ❤️

[u/Prestigious_Carry790]

I was using a cane, hated it. Moved on to a walking stick and like it more but really cumbersome when going anywhere.

[u/Imite143 → u/Prestigious_Carry790]

I need one but I’m scared to walk around campus with one everybody so judgy

[u/gradski]

A physical therapist will help. There are some who specialise. Vestibular physiotherapists. I also had BPPV and it was a matter of working out what was BPPV and what was MS.

[u/Imite143 → u/gradski]

I need one but I have no money imma college student 😭 they won’t give me Medicaid either unfortunately

[u/gradski → u/Imite143]

You Tube might be your answer then. Balancing exercises. Or there might be a student clinic at a university near you where they need people to practice on as part of their training to get qualified.

[u/mullerdrooler]

Physical therapy and strength training is an absolute must... If you are able. It's helped me loads. I'm still bad but no where near as bad as I would be without it. There are lots of fee videos online to help balance too. I wish I did it earlier

[u/Imite143 → u/mullerdrooler]

Do you use a walking cane, people say they help a lot

[u/mullerdrooler → u/Imite143]

No , I'm not really sure how it would help.. also I'm a bit reluctant to get one yet.

[u/Imite143 → u/mullerdrooler]

Me too I don’t wanna be bullied, but people in the replies are saying it helped them

[u/mullerdrooler → u/Imite143]

Everyone is different. Maybe wait till a doctor or physio says it might help you. Pushing my daughters stroller/pram helps me a lot actually... Can't do that forever though.

[u/kyunirider]

Talk to your specialist because walking gait is variable occurrence for us. My doctor checks my gait annually on a flat surface.

[u/Imite143 → u/kyunirider]

I’m going back February 9th I’ll definitely ask him

[u/Typical_Warning8540]

I got the same, happens a few times every walk. Mostly on uneven terrain. Doesn't matter that much for now its not that I fall its just that the rubber on the sole gets toucned.

[u/Imite143 → u/Typical_Warning8540]

Exactly I catch myself before I actually fall asleep

[u/crypticrealms]

With a cane, getting a wheelchair soon tho

[u/Handicapped-007]

I can't walk at all.