Managing MND

72 page A4 book providing strategies for living at home with MND, more in-depth information and day-to-day tips.

There is currently only one medication approved in Australia called Riluzole. Riluzole is prescribed for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and progressive bulbar palsy (PBP) – the most common types of MND. 

Managing life with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) can be easier with the support of a range of health professionals and service providers, this is what is meant by multidisciplinary care. 

Activities like walking, gardening, yoga, hydrotherapy and others that involve physical movement can help to strengthen or maintain healthy muscles whose nerves have not yet been affected by MND. 

Finding out that you have motor neurone disease (MND) can be overwhelming for you, your family, and your friends. There may be conversations you wish to have with the people you have connecting relationships with.

MND can weaken the nerves and muscles used for eating, drinking and swallowing in some people. It can be difficult to think about your speech and swallow being affected by MND,  but it may help to have some information in advance so you can plan for how you would like to manage your nutrition and hydration if needed in the future. 

Some people with MND, but without a diagnosis of dementia, will experience changes to their thinking and behaviour. This is known as cognitive change and it is believed to affect around 50% of people diagnosed with MND. 

Motor Neurone Disease (MND) causes progressive muscle weakness. Since almost all of our body’s functions require muscle activity to enable us to live, move and go about our everyday tasks, the impact of MND is wide-ranging. Depending on the pattern of muscles affected, people with MND can experience a range of symptoms.

Enjoying meals with MND can become challenging as muscles weaken that control chewing, swallowing or the strength and dexterity in your hands and arms. Difficulty eating and drinking may affect the nutrition and calories you require for a healthy weight and weight loss can also occur for a variety of reasons. 

MND affects the nerves that carry messages from your brain to your muscles. As these nerves gradually deteriorate, the signals cannot reach the muscles, so they become weaker, stiff and begin to waste. This can cause pain and discomfort which can interfere with your sleep and your overall quality of life.

48 page A4 book providing an overview of motor neurone disease and strategies for symptom management.

120 page full colour A4 book that provides friendly and practical information about how to plan ahead, managing emotions, dealing with MND symptoms, remaining comfortable as the disease progresses and connecting to services and support available.