Individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience in impairments in mobility and cognition that increase the risk for accidental falls. More than 50% of individuals with MS experience injurious falls within a 6-month period. Current interventions to improve fall risk have focused on forward walking (FW) and balance training, resulting in small declines in the relative risk for falls with a large degree of variability. Interestingly, motor differences between MS and healthy controls are more pronounced in backward walking (BW), yet no studies have investigated BW training as an intervention to reduce fall risk in persons with MS. This study will investigate the feasibility, acceptability and impact of BW training compared to forward walking training on motor function and fall risk in persons with MS.
Diagnosis of MS PDDS <6, indicating ability to ambulate with or without an assistive device >/= 50% of the time Self-reported walking dysfunction as evidenced by a score of >/= 30 on MSWS-12 OR reports of 2 or more falls in the prior 6 months, indicating a frequent faller.
Exclusion Criteria:
MS relapse within the past 30 days comorbid neurological disorder acute orthopedic disorder/injury unable to follow study-related commands
