Condition : Mobility issues

Condition Mobility issues

What are mobility issues?

If you experience a sudden decline in your mobility, call 999 or go to your nearest Accident and Emergency (A&E) department.

Mobility is your ability to get around freely. This may be impacted by injury or illness, making it difficult or even impossible to walk and/or get in and out of a chair or bed, and putting you at risk of falls.

If your mobility issue is due to an illness, you might hear the term ‘off legs’ being used to describe your condition.

When you’re completely unable to move some or all your body, this is known as paralysis.

Mobility issues may be temporary, long-term, or permanent, depending on the cause.

What causes mobility issues?

The most common causes of mobility issues are older age, injury, obesity, and conditions that affect your balance, bones, muscles, or joints. They may also be caused by a problem that starts from birth, such as cerebral palsy.

Mobility issues caused by injuries will usually be temporary, but they may lead to a long-term or permanent problem if the injury affected your head or spine, you’re older, have an underlying medical condition, or have an inactive lifestyle.

The symptoms of some illnesses or side effects from medicines can cause problems with mobility. Examples include:

feeling tired all or most of the time (fatigue)
tremors and muscle spasms (dystonia)
low muscle tone (hypotonia)
inactivity (resulting in weak muscles)
joint stiffness
weak bones
dizziness

A lack of mobility can cause further problems, such as:

contractures (where the muscles shorten and lose their normal range of movement)
wasting or thinning of muscle mass (muscle atrophy)
mental health illness
obesity