The Association between Urinary Disorder, Hypertonia and Assistive Device Usage with Falling in Individual with Multiple SclerosisPersian Abstract

The purpose of this study was the association between urinary disorder (UD), spastic hypertonia and assistive device with falling. In this analytical cross sectional study, 140 participants with Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score below 7; aged 20 to 55 years were divided into two groups according to their reports of falls in the past 6 months. Participants selected from Tehran outpatient clinics by convenient sampling. The presence or absence of UD, fall history and using assistive device was recorded by self-report. In addition, spastic hypertonia was assessed by Ashworth scale in knee extensors and ankle plantar flexors muscles for lower extremities. Finally, we used Mann whitney, chi-square test and Spearman correlation coefficient for analyzing. We found more UD, spastic hypertonia and using assistive device in MS with history of falling compared with MS without history of falls (P < 0.05). Additionally, the direct and significant relationship existed between UD, spastic hypertonia and using assistive device with falls. MS people with history of falls that have UD, spastic hypertonia and using assistive device are in risk of falling than MS patients without history of falling.