I was inspired to write this post by RTR1's recent post about her 1st fall.
Falls are one of the most dangerous side effects of MS that affects a large percentage of MS patients. As our disability increases so does the likelihood of falls resulting from that disability. You might ask why I feel like I can share the dangers of falls with you. I believe having broken my right shoulder beyond repair so I had to get a reverse shoulder replacement. Breaking my ankle bad enough to require 2 plates and 8 screws to put it back together. Having broken my nose and deviating my septum. And finally most recently having a total knee replacement due to numerous falls on it. Besides the numerous broken bones I've had I've had more concussions than I care to count. Luckily I'm hardheaded. So when people tell me that I am hardheaded I smile at them and tell them it's a good thing I am. I wear it like a badge of honor!🤣🤣
A. Hazards to look for especially in your path or in unfamiliar terrains are uneven sidewalks, roots, holes or ruts in the ground, rocks, pets, sticks or branches in your path, wet spots, obstacles in your path like toys, rakes, brooms, tools, etc.. It's often the simple things that cause a fall. Like your pet running in front of you, unven ground, a rock in your path, a rake left outside, broken sidewalks, a tree root sticking out of the ground, a puddle, wet leaves or grass, a branch, et cetera. One key to preventing falls is to make sure you're constantly scanning the ground in front of you and look for any obstacles that could cause you issues and make you lose your balance.
B. Learn to listen to your body. Understand your warning signs and when you feel yourself getting tired or as an example your drop foot is not listening and picking up at all it's time to quit activity. Find yourself a cafe and have lunch or dinner, a cup of coffee, Anything to refuel your tank, and just time to take a nap or simply rest your body. This will make a huge difference in keeping you from falling. I know often my heart is willing but my body is weak. My family always fusses at me for doing too much and pushing myself over the limit of my MS body. Learn to listen to your body and I promise you it will make a big difference in hurting youself from accidents or falls.
C. If you see that you're starting to fall occasionally realize it might be time to put away the high heels and get out sturdy level shoes that keep your foot very stable. Forget the clogs with no back on them, the flip flops that are easy to step out of, or anything that will make you lose your balance if you miss a step or hit an uneven patch. You can still be fashionable but choose shoes that fit you well and stay on.. Perhaps lace up or a zipper et cetera. Make sure they're still pretty flat and sturdy with good support for your body.
D. I know another trigger for me are nights when I simply don't sleep very well. The next day I have low energy and a more prone to having accidents or falls. Understand what triggers your problems to arise and know when it's time to take A-day off and simply kick back and take it easy. The same goes 4 days that you start new medications on. Read the labels and watch for side effects. If you see it warns you about dizziness be careful for the next day or two to stick around the house and protect yourself while you make sure of the medication is not going to affect how you feel or how you get around.
If you can think of other possible causes of falls please let me know. I'm sure I've left things out or forgotten to list them and I would appreciate any help anyone can supply. It will help the whole group not just me. Remember together we are stronger.
Now on to safety equipment. Talk to your neurologist or your physical therapist to get their recommendations of what type of safety equipment they think would benefit you at your stage of MS.
1. One of the walking aids that people often start with are either canes or walking sticks. Be careful using them though because they provide minimum support when it comes to your balance to stop you from falling. I used a walking stick for years when I backpacked with the boy scouts. It helped to offset the 30 pound pack I had on my back. At the time I had excellent balance and it was a simple aid to help to maneuver uneven terrain, go up-and-down small mountains, to cross creeks and ravines.
2. There are so many walkers on the market today that I had to research a bit to find out exactly what types they were called and how many there were. From what research I did look into there are 7 basic types walkers.
1) The standard Walker. It has no wheels and the user must pick it up with every step they take. It has no brakes on it and is simply controlled by the pace of the person who is using it walking speed.
2) Front wheel walkers. As the name implies it has wheels on the front of the Walker. It can be harder to control as the Walker can pick up speed with the wheels on the front and no brake to stop them
3) Side walkers or Hemi walkers. These walkers are designed with one handle and meant to be used on the side of the patient similar to a cane or walking stick. They offer more support than the cane or walking stick since the Hemi Walker has 4 legs on it. Again speak to your neurologist or physical therapist but if you're ready for a walker I wouldn't recommend the hemi Walker because there's simply isn't enough support there to prevent falls from occurring.
4) 3 Wheeled Walker. When I think of 3 wheeled walkers I often think of people who have had foot or ankle surgery and need to keep that appendage off the ground by riding the 3 wheeled Walker scooter. There are some 3 wheeled walkers however that people can use as simply a walker. They have one wheel in the front and two in the back. They provide better balance Then even some 4 wheeled Walker because of how wheels are positioned. The big drawback is it has no seat to take a rest if you get tired and few features are available with this Walker.
5) 4 wheel walkers. Most commonly known in this group are your rollaters. They come in a variety of styles and have many options you can add on. They also vary greatly in price as the more you customize it the more expensive they become. They are great For users with limited upper body strength As you do not have to lift any time move because of the 4 wheels. They do have brakes so they cannot get away from the Walker very easily. The traditional roll later has a big padded seat and backrest Some even have a storage basket under the seat. The older models do weigh quite a bit antipathy are faldable but the white factor makes it A bit harder to transport and be mobile with it.
6) For wheel Walker European style. These are similar to the rollators but they're upgraded with newer standards. They are much lighter and have a cloth seat instead of a padded seat and it also has a storage bag front of the seat instead of a storage basket under the padded seat. Many options come with this Walker and it folds up in half and is light weight between 18 And 28 pounds typically. So it is light and easy to transport.
7) The latest and most updated Walker on the market today is the upwalker. One out and rehab when I was rehabbed from my knee and I loved it. I researched and research generation and I wound up purchasing 1 on eBay for about $100. They have high armrestWhere you lay your 4 AM in the armrest and theHand break is directly in front of the forearm rest.So they are a taller Walker and they allow themUser to stand upright and look easier ahead of them to look for hazards et cetera.It also improved my balance because I'm resting my weight on my forearm At a much higher level and I feel very stable When I walk with it. It's still has the cloth seat and backrest to set down on. It has brakes that lock in place as well as slow you down. And a storage bag that hangs in front of the Walker below the seat. You can also add other accessories like cup holders and top bags. It does come with an umbrella/cane holder. And mine weighs only 18 pounds when folded in half it's very portable and light to take with you.
3. If you've gone past being able to walk with any type of Walker then it's time too go to a wheelchair. They come with many options. You can get the type that needs to be pushed by a person. Make sure you get feet rest on your chair to hold your feet up out of harm's way. Then there's motorized wheelchairs where you are in control of where you go and how fast you go. These are not for the beginner because you need to Learn to use them before taking off on 1. They make keeping your balance a bit harder because you can pick up speed in these and turn on a dime. Many offer seat belts and if your balance is not The best make sure you use then. They also have armrest which will help your balance as well. You can buy bags to hang on the back to carry things and bags to fit on the arms to also carry small things like your glasses etc.
4. 2 other types of motorized scooters are the Jazzy scooter and the Hoveround scooter. These 2 scooters turn on a dime are very useful to have indoors because they're easy to get around a home in. They are not light weight so you do not want to try to transport them with you wherever you go. Typically these all run on rechargeable batteries. So you can take them away from the charge station and don't have to keep them plugged in which makes them easy to run around in.
5. The 3rd type of motorized scooter is the most portable. I have a Gogo elite traveler that breaks down into 4 pieces. The heaviest piece is the battery which weighs 35 pounds. These are easy to transport and we take it everywhere. Some motorized scooters however do not break down And you are forced to purchase a trailer or carrier To attach to your vehicle hitch to put this scooter on. One thing to make sure of is that your vehicle sets highc enough that you can s the trailer on the back with the scooter weight and it still has good ground clearance. Their prices range from used ones between $600 to $900. To the fanciest new ones tçhat will set you back sometimes almost $4000. Most all of these run on rechargeable electric batteries and have a range of several miles or more before the battery runs out. They have baskets for storage so you can take them shopping or run errands with them and still keep your hands free. I purchased a Gogo elite traveler about 8 to 10 years ago for $480. So the used ones are out there you just have to keep looking until you find one in good condition. Typically the worst maintenance on them is replacing the batteries. My husband is a fix it guy that uses a lot of equipment and you can replace the expensive scooter batteries with simple lawn mower batteries or even duracell makes a btetttery that fit mine. The one thing I would recommend is that you get a 4 wheel scooter nots a 3 wheel scooter when they're electric. The 3 wheels scooters tip over easier than the 4 wheels do.
If you plan to be out and about at night you might need to get one with headlights, tail lights, and turn signals. They make it much safer to use in the dark can can be found on newer models both used and new.
Sorry for such a long post but there was a lot of information to cover. If you think of things I have left out or overlooked please feel free to share it with the chat room. Knowledge is power. Together we are stronger. Fancy59.
Rollator
