Gait response of people with multiple sclerosis to real life simulated different walking surfaces. | ||
| Egyptian Journal of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation | ||
| Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 23 April 2025 | ||
| Document Type: Cross-sectional studies | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejptr.2025.374808.1025 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Menna Hozien* 1; Yasmine Sabry Gomaa2; Ebtisam Mohammed Fahmy3; Abeer Abo Bakr El-wishy4 | ||
| 1Department of Physical Therapy for Neuromuscular Disorders, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Ahram Canadian University. | ||
| 2Department of Physical Therapy for Neuromuscular Disorders, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Kafrelsheikh University | ||
| 3Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University | ||
| 4Department of Physical Therapy for Neuromuscular Disorders, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Background: Gait abnormalities are one of the most common symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis and can significantly impact quality of life. It is believed that walking in external environments may contribute to further changes in gait. Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of different textured walking surfaces on the gait characteristics of individuals with MS. Materials and Methods: A sample of 24 individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) was evaluated using the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) to determine the level of disability. Participants were asked to walk on four different surface types: grass, pebbles, soft, and hard. Gait was recorded using video, and the walking was analyzed using Kinovea software to assess differences in gait velocity across the various surfaces. Comparisons were then made to evaluate how gait velocity varied between the different surface conditions. Results: Significant differences in gait velocity were observed across the different textured surfaces (p = 0.000). There was a significant difference in gait velocity between the grass surface and both the soft (p = 0.001) and pebble surfaces (p = 0.000), as well as between the hard surface and the soft (p = 0.000) and pebble surfaces (p = 0.000). Conclusion: The results emphasize the importance of providing gait training on different textured surfaces that simulate real-life environments for PWMS, to help reduce gait difficulties. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Gait abnormalities; external environments; textured walking surfaces; real-life environments; gait velocity; quality of life; disability; gait training | ||
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