Which interventions are effective in preventing falls in people with multiple sclerosis? A Cochrane Review summary with commentary.

BACKGROUND: Falls are common and serious health concern in people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Various types of falls prevention interventions are currently investigated in people with MS. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of interventions to reduce falls in people with MS. METHODS: To summarize falls prevention interventions from the published Cochrane Review "Interventions for preventing falls in people with multiple sclerosis" conducted by Hayes et al. Best available evidence was discussed from the rehabilitation perspective. RESULTS: Overall 13 RCTs with 839 participants were included. The interventions evaluated included: exercise, education, and functional electrical stimulation alone or in combination. Majority of the included studies demonstrated high risk of bias. The findings suggest that the evidence was uncertain regarding the effects of evaluated interventions on preventing or reducing falls. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence for any falls prevention interventions in people with MS is sparse and uncertain, and more robust studies are needed.