Multiple sclerosis sufferers who have difficulty walking say it is the most challenging part of the disease, according to a U.S. survey.
According to UPI, 70 percent of respondents said difficulty walking was the hardest symptom to deal with. And, an estimated 78 percent of women and 62 percent of men surveyed reported that trouble walking makes getting around dangerous.
Despite this, a survey by Harris Interactive on behalf of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and Acorda Therapeutics found that 40 percent of people with MS rarely or never discuss walking problems with their doctor. And on average, people with MS ages 41 or younger who do discuss trouble walking with their doctor initiate the conversation only 46 percent of the time.
The June 10-17 survey of more than 1,200 adults living with MS found that 65 percent of MS sufferers reported having trouble walking, the inability to walk or difficulty maintaining balance at least twice per week.
Additionally, a majority of people living with MS reported they experienced walking problems within the first few years after diagnosis. Among people diagnosed with MS within the past five years, 58 percent reported experiencing a mobility issue at least twice a week.
