Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is a progressive neurological condition that affects the nerves responsible for controlling voluntary movement. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is the most common form of MND and is the term more commonly used in some countries, particularly the United States.

Living with MND can involve significant physical changes over time. As someone’s needs change, comfort, dignity and having choices about their own care become increasingly important.

Reflexology cannot treat or slow the progression of MND. However, some people choose gentle complementary therapies such as reflexology simply because they value the experience of touch, relaxation and having time devoted entirely to their comfort.

What Is Motor Neurone Disease?

Motor neurones carry messages from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles, allowing us to perform voluntary movements.

In MND, these nerve cells progressively become damaged and stop working. As fewer messages reach the muscles, this can lead to increasing muscle weakness, stiffness and wasting.

The condition affects people differently and progresses at different rates.

Symptoms may include:

• weakness in the arms or legs
• difficulty walking or carrying out everyday movements
• muscle cramps, stiffness or twitching
• changes in speech
• difficulties with swallowing
• breathing difficulties as the condition progresses.

MND requires specialist medical care and support.

Medical Care and Support

There is currently no cure for MND, but treatment and specialist support can help people manage symptoms and maintain independence and quality of life for as long as possible.

Care will usually involve a multidisciplinary team and may include medication, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, nutritional support, respiratory care and assistive equipment.

Reflexology should never replace any of these services or the advice of the person’s healthcare team.

Reflexology and MND

The purpose of reflexology for somebody living with MND is not to attempt to influence the neurological condition itself.

Instead, my focus is on the person.

A gentle reflexology session can provide time when nothing is being demanded of them physically. There are no exercises to complete and no particular response that needs to be achieved.

I work across the feet using pressure appropriate to the individual’s comfort. As mobility, muscle strength or sensitivity changes, the treatment can change too.

What was comfortable several months ago may not be what somebody wants today, and that is perfectly fine.

Communication and Choice

A client should remain at the centre of their treatment.

I will always ask about comfort and preferences before starting, and the session can be adjusted at any point.

If communicating verbally has become difficult, this does not mean somebody should lose control over what happens during their treatment. Where appropriate, we can establish simple ways for the client to indicate whether the pressure is comfortable, whether they would like me to stop or whether they would prefer something changed.

Sometimes somebody wants conversation. Sometimes they want music. Sometimes they simply want quiet.

There is no expectation to experience the session in a particular way.

The Value of Gentle Touch

As people’s medical needs increase, much of the physical contact they experience can understandably become connected with examinations, medication, personal care or rehabilitation.

A complementary treatment can offer a different experience of touch — one whose purpose is simply comfort and relaxation.

Reflexology is not a medical intervention for MND, and I would never suggest otherwise. Its value for an individual may simply be having a peaceful period in which attention is focused on how comfortable they feel at that moment.

That simplicity can matter.

Mobile Reflexology for People Living with MND in London

For somebody whose mobility is increasingly limited, travelling to a reflexology clinic may be impractical or exhausting.

With mobile reflexology, the treatment comes to you.

I travel throughout London to provide reflexology in clients’ own homes. The treatment can take place wherever the person is most comfortable and can be adapted around their mobility and circumstances.

Where a family member or carer is involved in someone’s day-to-day support, I am also happy for them to be present if that is what the client prefers.

If you or someone you care for is living with Motor Neurone Disease and considering reflexology as a complementary therapy, you are welcome to contact me to discuss their individual circumstances and whether a mobile treatment may be appropriate.