I have foot drop in my right foot, which makes it difficult to walk. For those who don’t know foot drop, it means my foot doesn’t turn up properly when I walk. I have to lift my leg higher with each step so my foot doesn’t drag along the floor and trip me up. It makes my balance unsteady, and I have a gait when I walk.

Using walking sticks is often a great way of steadying you if you have foot drop. It certainly works for me.

My walking stick easily folds up  into 4 pieces and fits into my bag.  It snaps open into a very sturdy stick.

I was really pleased with the handle on my stick. It is really comfy and feels very secure when I am walking with the stick. Mine is suitable for using in the right or left hand, but some are specifically for use in one hand or the other.

This is an interesting point actually. It is my right foot that I have problems with, so I held my walking stick in my right hand. I thought that this was the best way to do it. That is until my physiotherapist advised me to actually hold it in my left hand. She said this was the correct way if my right foot was bad. It took some getting used to, especially as I am right handed. In the end I think she was right, it works much better using the stick on the opposite side to the problem foot.

The other things worth mentioning about my stick are the wrist strap and the rubber foot.

The wrist strap is good when I want to hold or reach for something. I don’t have to hold my stick as well, and I can let it dangle from my wrist. I find this very useful when getting on the bus. I can climb on using the handrails, and just let my stick dangle from my wrist. It doesn’t get in the way and I am safe holding onto the handrails.

You can get replacement rubber feet (often called ferrules) if the one on the stick wears out or you want a different type. Mine acts like a shock absorber and makes using the stick more comfy.

It is also worth mentioning that you can get stick holders to fit onto other mobility equipment, like scooters, wheelchairs, or rollators. You can also get stick clips. These enable you to attach your stick to a desk, table or work surface. I used one on my desk at work and it was really useful.

As my MS started to get worse, my walking became a joke. As I walked I looked drunk. You have probably heard many people with MS say they look drunk when they walk. I really hated this. People avoided me, I felt really stupid.

I didn’t want any ‘help’ with walking, as I felt that this was giving in. In hindsight, though this was an understandable reaction, it didn’t help me at all. A friend said I really should get a walking stick.  I thought walking sticks were for old people not people like me in their late 20’s.

I bit the bullet though. Falling over so much and walking like a crazy woman inspired me. I went to a mobility shop. They couldn’t have been more helpful. I didn’t feel out of place there. They understood exactly what I needed.

I came away with a folding walking stick. It could fold up into my bag when I didn’t need it. When I did need it, it was fantastic. It steadied me enough to stop me falling over. It gave me more confidence when I was walking outside. Most importantly to me, I no longer looked drunk when I walked. I looked like I had a problem with my leg instead, and there is no shame in that!

I opted for a folding walking stick as that suited me perfectly. I could carry it with me at all times, but not have to use it if I didn’t want to or need to.

They came in lots of different colours, but I chose a simple black one. (Though I did jazz it up with tinsel at Christmas!)

It had a handle on the top which fitted my hand perfectly and made it really comfortable to use.

Having the walking stick really did change my life. My Multiple Sclerosis had begun to take over. I was beconing reluctant to leave the house as I knew I would fall over, as my balance was very poor, and my walking was difficult cumbersome and slow. The walking stick helped me regain my independence. It gave me confidence, and I began leaving the house a lot more. I couldn’t walk far, but when I was walking, I felt much more stable and more sure that I wouldn’t hurt myself by falling again.

If I had to carry bags, I just used a ruck sack. This kept my hands free, for using my stick, and kept my balance much better, as I wasn’t lobsided.

All in all, what felt like a step backwards was a move in the right direction.