INDEPENDENT RESEARCH EXPLAINED
Better Walking-Aid Selection And Training In MS
A randomised trial showing that choosing, fitting and teaching the use of walking aids can make a difference for people who still fall.
Who Carried Out The Research?
Michelle H. Cameron, Andrea Hildebrand, Cinda Hugos and Lindsey Wooliscroft. Oregon Health & Science University.
A walking aid selection, training, and education program (ADSTEP) to prevent falls in multiple sclerosis: A randomized controlled trial. Multiple Sclerosis Journal, 30(9), 1205 to 1215. DOI: 10.1177/13524585241265031.
How Was It Studied?
Seventy-eight people with MS were randomised to ADSTEP or a control group. ADSTEP involved six weekly individual virtual physiotherapy sessions. Participants recorded falls daily through six months after the intervention.
What Did They Find?
At six-month follow-up, the change from baseline in mean falls per person per month was -1.02 in ADSTEP versus +0.03 in controls (p=0.017). Walking activity and walking-aid fit also improved relative to controls. The authors concluded that ADSTEP likely reduces falls.
| People randomised | 78 |
|---|---|
| Weekly individual sessions | 6 |
| ADSTEP: change in monthly falls per person | -1.02 |
| Control: change in monthly falls per person | +0.03 |
The two fall figures are changes from baseline at six-month follow-up, not absolute fall rates or percentage reductions.
What Does This Mean For Everyday Mobility?
The practical message is that issuing a device is only part of supporting mobility. Selection, fit and teaching everyday use deserve attention. This supports the case for discussing the person’s real activities and following up how the equipment works for them.
What Are The Limits?
This trial tested a programme of selection, training and education in people with MS, not LifeGlider or one particular device. Its results cannot be transferred to a different product or to all mobility conditions.
This is Mobility UK’s explanation of independent research. The authors and institutions do not endorse LifeGlider. Findings from different populations, study designs and follow-up periods should not be pooled into a single fall rate.
Read The Original Research
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We explain the findings in our own words and retain the original attribution. The paper and its figures have not been republished under our branding.