NMC
Physiotherapy
Welcome
to the NMC Physiotherapy page, where you can find out about our team
of experienced staff, and the services we offer at the Centre.
The
Physiotherapy Team
Click on the picture to find their details
Physiotherapy
Contact details
Telephone:
01606 861 799
We are here to answer your questions, and to offer advice and
support to those with muscular dystrophy, their family, carers,
and local physiotherapists.
The
Service we provide is free to all users!
We offer
a unique service to people with muscular dystrophy, which is not available
on the National Health Service - ongoing physiotherapy, lead by clinical
need.
Referrals
are accepted from both Consultants and GPs. We just ask that people
make their own arrangements to travel to the Neuromuscular Centre for
their appointments.
We carry
out detailed assessments of everyone referred to our physiotherapy service,
so that we can target the individual's main problems and deal with the
areas that cause them most concern. As a result, we are able to give
people an individual
treatment programme suited to their own needs, and to provide relevant,
helpful advice and information.
We are
also able to monitor the effectiveness of our treatment by setting goals
at the assessment.
The
Assessment
This lasts
approximately 1 ½ hours and is carried out in a private examination
room by a Chartered physiotherapist.
There is
opportunity for people to discuss their own particular problems and
needs in relation to daily activities, including walking, wheelchair
use and use of a vehicle.
The
physical examination is
required to measure and record the movement of the main joints of the
body, tightness and strength of the muscles and lung volume and power.
We recommend
that people wear comfortable, loose fitting clothing, which they are
able to keep on during the assessment, unless they complain of pain
or discomfort in their body, which may require closer examination, and
removal of the outer garments. This would only be done with the patient's
clearly given consent.
At the
end of the assessment, the physiotherapist will answer any questions
and discuss the most suitable treatment options, before agreeing any
future care.
Physiotherapy
Treatments
We can
provide a broad range of treatments at the Neuromuscular Centre, and
adapt them to suit the needs of individuals.
These include:
For more
information on these, click on the above treatments.
Equipment
We have
a fully equipped department which allows us to provide effective treatments,
and we also have some equipment which is available on loan.
For more
information - hover mouse over the pictures below.
We can
give advice and help with wheelchairs and cushions, splints and supports.
If we don't
know the answer - then we know someone who will! And they are usually
someone who comes to or works in the Neuromuscular Centre.
The
Benefits of Physiotherapy
All our
treatments are chosen to suit the individual, but in most cases our
aim is to deal with the effects of muscular dystrophy, which is muscle
weakness and wasting, and the knock-on effects of these.
The
essential aims of treatment:
Maintain
flexibility.
Maintain
joint range.
Make the
best use of available muscle power.
We can
also give appropriate treatment and advice for musculoskeletal problems
including:
Acute minor
injuries, such as strains and sprains.
Chronic
postural neck and back pain.
We also
look for improvements in "Function", such as walking, dressing,
washing and fine hand movements.
For more
specific information on the benefits of the different treatments used
please refer to the treatment details above.
