The effects of prolonged wear of textured shoe insoles on walking in people with Multiple Sclerosis

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Many people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) experience problems with walking, which can make day to day activities difficult and often leads to falls. Improving walking ability is, therefore, of primary importance in maintaining health, independence, and quality of life in people living with MS. Walking problems in MS are often caused by a combination of typical symptoms, such as altered function of muscles, nerves, and senses. The key to improving mobility is, therefore, to use a range of different treatment techniques which address each of these symptoms. Foot sensation plays an important role in keeping the body upright and balanced whilst walking, yet, we know from previous studies that people with MS often have poor sensation on the soles of their feet. It is, therefore, possible that wearing a specially designed shoe insole, which enhances sensory information at the feet, could help people affected by MS to walk better. This would offer health care professionals a new, additional treatment technique to help manage walking problems in MS. This study will explore whether long-term wear of a textured shoe insole can improve walking in people with MS. We will analyse how people with MS walk over an even and uneven surface, when they are wearing the insoles for the first time, and after wearing the insoles for three months. We will explore whether wearing the insoles changes the way the body moves, or the leg and trunk muscles work during walking. We will also monitor any changes in the perception of foot sensation and the awareness of foot position, to help us better understand how our insoles may bring about their effects on walking. The benefit for people affected by MS is that this study could lead to the development of a new treatment technique, specifically an inexpensive, easy-to-administer shoe insole, which could help towards improving mobility and independent living.