Motor Neurone Disease
What is it?
Motor neurone disease (MND) is a condition that affects the brain and nerves. It is an uncommon condition that can affect adults of all ages however usually affects people in their 60s and 70s. MND causes cells in the brain to gradually stop working however it is unclear why this happens. It causes weakness that gets worse over time. There is currently no cure for MND. MND can significantly shorten life expectancy and will ultimately lead to death however many people live with the condition for many years or even decades. Symptoms of MND occur gradually and may not be obvious at first.
Common Side Effects Include:
- Early symptoms include:
Weakness in extremities such as hands/wrists or feet/ankles.
Slurred speech
Muscles cramps
Weight loss
Difficulty in stopping yourself from crying or laughing in inappropriate situations.
As the condition progresses people with MND experience difficulty with:
Reduced mobility with varying degrees of immobility i.e needing a stick to walk or being wheelchair bound
Reduced arm or leg function with varying degrees of disability
Reduced balance leading to recurrent falls
Swallowing difficulties
Difficulties with breathing
How Can We Help?
Cortex Physiotherapy will help you to move freely and live fully. The presentation of MND will differ in each individual and will change over time. There may not be a cure for MND but that doesn’t mean you should let it take control of your life. Cortex Physiotherapy cannot provide a cure for your condition but we can help you to take charge of it. Due to the irreversible nature of the disease our main focus will be on symptom management and life optimisation. Cortex Physiotherapy will provide treatment to manage your symptoms in order to optimise the quality of your life and will also help you to develop compensatory strategies to use what you have to achieve what you want. Improvement is heavily dependent on the individual challenging themselves and committing themselves to the rehabilitation programme provided by Cortex Physiotherapy.
Potential for improvement is something that is very difficult to determine and each individual case will be different. Cortex Physiotherapy will always have an open and honest discussion about potential for improvement and this will be regularly monitored and discussed to ensure that you and your therapist are working as a team. You will receive a full neurological examination to determine where your individual problems lie, after this you and your therapist will have a discussion about what matters most to you. Your therapist will then tailor your treatment to your goals and your journey to the life you want begins.