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Adults – Posture, Movement & Exercise

Adults – Posture, Movement & Exercise

Last reviewed November 2024

 

Chapter 3 Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation > of the Family Guide to the 2017 International Standards of Care for SMA (SoC) summarises what care and management recommendations were made then. Although this provides a useful reference point, a 3-year project is now underway to update all these standards for the UK. Any updates to this advice will be published once this area of care has been reviewed by the SMA Care UK > project. Your physio and clinical team will be up to date with any changes.

NHS Support

To say the least this is in short supply for adults. That’s not just for adults who have SMA. Across the board there is not enough NHS-funded support to meet the need. It is still though well worth seeking.

If your SMA care is overseen by a specialist NHS neuromuscular centre, you may already have contact with a physio. If not, ask your neuromuscular for a referral to the team’s physio or OT.

If your care is not currently overseen by a specialist NHS centre or you have not got a physio or OT to advise you, you will need to ask your GP to refer you. Ideally this will be to one of the specialist NHS Regional Neuromuscular Centres >.


Neuromuscular centres provided by Charities

There are two neuromuscular centres in the UK. Both are charities. Both offer physiotherapy, complementary therapies, support and advice to adults who have a neuromuscular condition. The services are free to the user, but you will need to be referred by your GP or consultant. More information is available directly from the centres:

  • The Neuromuscular Centre Winsford
    Phone: 01606 860 911
    The Neuromuscular Centre, Woodford Lane West, Winsford, Cheshire,
    CW7 4EH.
    The centre covers mainly the North of England and North Wales
  • Muscular Dystrophy Support Centre
    Phone: 02476 100 770
    Hereward College, Bramston Crescent, Coventry, West Midlands, CV4 9SW.
    The centre covers the Midlands region.

 

You may find the suggestions in this information sheet helpful:

 

Muscular Dystrophy UK have published an update of their document:

The advice was originally produced in 2014. It has been updated by some of the UK’s expert neuromuscular physiotherapists working with adults. It provides people with information about the importance of exercise, and how it can be safely carried out.