The effect of textured insoles on gait in people with Multiple Sclerosis: an exploratory study

Purpose:

To investigate whether textured insoles can improve gait in people with Multiple Sclerosis.

Relevance:

Previous studies have shown footwear, including textured insoles, may improve postural stability in healthy young and older adults [1,2,3], and there is some evidence that footwear interventions may be beneficial for people with MS [4,5].

Participants:

46 people with MS (34 female), age mean (SD) 49 (7) years, who reported that they were able to walk 100 meters with or without resting with the use of one stick or crutch.

Methods:

Ethical approval was granted by the Local Research Ethics Committee. Participants were randomised to one of two textured insole groups: texture A (Algeos UK Ltd, Liverpool, UK) used in other studies [2,3], or texture B, a commercial insole (CrocsTM). Participants conducted baseline walking tests at their preferred speed along an instrumented walkway (GAITRite) in a laboratory setting, and temporal-spatial gait parameters were extracted. Participants then wore the insoles for two weeks and returned for repeat testing.

Analysis:

Paired t-tests were used to evaluate changes between baseline and follow-up.

Results:

Stride length increased between baseline and follow up in both legs in group A (left p=0.01, right p=0.02) and group B (left p=0.02, right p=0.02). Velocity and cadence did not change significantly in either group. Discussion: This finding that textured insoles can produce improvements in stride length requires further investigation. It is consistent with research on foot orthoses in MS showing an improvement in balance after 4 weeks of wear [4].

Support:

This study was funded by the Multiple Sclerosis Society, and also sponsored by CrocsTM.