Specialist neurological physiotherapy helping people with MS stay active, manage changing symptoms and maintain independence.
Living with multiple sclerosis can mean that your physical abilities vary from day to day. Walking may feel easy one morning and considerably harder later that afternoon. Fatigue, weakness, stiffness, altered sensation or balance problems can also make familiar activities take more effort than they used to.
At NeuroPhysio, we provide specialist physiotherapy for adults living with MS. You might come to us because you’ve noticed a change in your walking, you’re recovering after a relapse, falls are becoming more frequent, or you want advice about exercise and keeping physically active.
Others come because everyday movement is becoming increasingly difficult and they want practical ways to maintain mobility, comfort, and independence.
MS can affect movement in several ways, and often a combination of symptoms makes an activity difficult.
Weakness, altered sensation, reduced coordination, balance difficulties and foot drop can all change the way you walk. We can assess what is contributing and explore ways to make mobility safer, more efficient and less tiring.
MS fatigue can have a significant impact on work, family life and physical activity. Rather than simply advising you to do less, we help you find a more sustainable balance between activity, exercise and recovery.
Changes in strength, muscle tone and flexibility can make movement require more effort. Targeted exercise and movement strategies can help maintain physical capacity and make everyday tasks easier to manage.
We support people to find practical ways to use their physical capacity well and maintain the activities that are important. Physiotherapy may work on walking, balance, strength, cardiovascular fitness, falls prevention or strategies for managing fatigue. If foot drop is affecting your walking, we can assess whether Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES), strengthening, gait rehabilitation or an orthotic approach may help.
Exercise is often an important part of treatment. We can help you find an appropriate starting point and build activity gradually, whether that means walking, cycling, gym-based exercise, swimming or returning to something you already enjoy. For people whose mobility is more limited, physiotherapy can also help with transfers, positioning, joint movement, wheelchair mobility and finding comfortable ways to remain physically active.
One of the challenges of MS is knowing when to push yourself and when to adapt. You may notice that walking takes more energy than it used to, that your balance changes when you’re tired or that activities which were previously manageable now require more planning. Sometimes a relapse creates a more sudden change and leaves you unsure how to rebuild your previous level of activity.
A neurological physiotherapist can help you make sense of these changes. That might mean rebuilding strength and fitness after a period of reduced activity, changing how you approach a particular task, reviewing mobility equipment or finding ways to conserve energy without unnecessarily giving up the things you enjoy. The aim isn’t always to do more, sometimes the most useful change is finding a better way to use the energy and movement you have.
You don’t need to wait until mobility has significantly changed before asking for help. A physiotherapy review can be useful when you notice something becoming more difficult, following a relapse, when considering FES for foot drop, or simply when you want to become more active but aren’t sure where to start. Appointments are available at our Hertford and Chelmsford clinics, as well as at your home and within the community when travelling to a clinic is difficult, or rehabilitation is better delivered in your own environment.
Yes. Physiotherapy can help you maintain or improve strength, balance, mobility and fitness, while developing practical strategies for managing the physical effects of MS.
Some people notice a temporary increase in symptoms when they become hot or fatigued, but this does not necessarily mean that exercise is harmful. Finding the right intensity, duration and recovery is important, and we can help you develop an exercise programme that works for you.
Yes. We can assess why foot drop is affecting your walking and explore options including strengthening, gait rehabilitation, orthotics and Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES).
Yes. We can look at how physical fitness, activity levels, pacing and recovery are affecting your fatigue. The aim is to help you use your available energy effectively while maintaining physical health and activity.
A physiotherapy review can be helpful following a relapse, particularly if your walking, balance, strength or confidence have changed. Rehabilitation can then be adapted to your current abilities.
Physiotherapy can remain valuable even when walking isn’t a priority. We can help with transfers, positioning, strength, flexibility, wheelchair mobility, comfort and maintaining physical health.
Whether you want to improve your walking, manage fatigue, become stronger, reduce falls or maintain your mobility for as long as possible, we’ll take time to understand how MS affects your life and what you would like to achieve.
NeuroPhysio services include technology and treatment approaches that have proven to be effective:
