NDIS Therapeutic Support for Neurological Conditions

Nutrition for Neurological Conditions

Neurological conditions and their associated medications can come with many symptoms or side-effects that affect oral intake and nutrition status. These can include neuropathic pain, loss of appetite, fatigue, nausea/vomiting, early satiety, constipation, reduced gut motility and dysphagia (reduced swallow function).

Some neurological disorders can mean you’ll need extra support to manage your oral intake and achieve ideal nutrition, such as a texture-modified diet or PEG feeding.

Dietetic counselling, education and management can provide tailored advice to optimise nutrition and design a healthy diet for people with neurological conditions. Maintaining optimal nutrition is vital for:

• Counteracting nutritional impact of neurological symptoms
• Retaining muscle mass and strength
• Improving energy levels

Support in these areas can improve your quality of life, independence and general health and wellbeing.

Active Ability’s dietitians are trained in motivational interviewing and client-centred care to achieve the best client involvement and outcomes.

We have experience providing services to clients with neurological conditions in both private and assisted-living settings. Dietitians can provide nutrition status assessments, staff training, menu planning, individualised goal setting for diet optimisation and client-centred education.

Exercise for Neurological Conditions

Balance and strength are often affected in neurological conditions. Exercise physiologists provide tailored exercise programs for people with neurological disorders. Targeted exercise can improve strength and reduce functional decline, while considering the needs associated with your condition, such as managing fatigue levels.

An exercise program for neurological disorders may focus on:

• Progressive resistance training to improve muscle strength, with an emphasis on functional movements (eg standing from a chair and walking)
• Increasing lower limb balance and coordination to reduce falls risk, and consequent risk of injury/fracture.
• A combination of static and dynamic stretching (either actively or passively) to reduce muscular stiffness and increase mobility for ease of task completion.
• Aerobic training to improve functional endurance, lung and heart function, and reduce risk of chronic disease associated with a sedentary lifestyle.

Muscular stiffness is a common symptom of neurological disease due to an imbalance of electrical signals coming from the brain and spinal cord. Stretching of spastic or contractured muscle groups allows for strengthening of the opposing muscle groups, which often have reduced activity and therefore reduced strength and function. For example, quadriceps and hip flexors are often tight, which inhibits hamstring and gluteal activity, resulting in hamstring and gluteal weakness.

Active Ability’s exercise physiologists can design and help you put in place an exercise program tailored to your needs and goals, to help maintain your independence in completing activities of daily living for as long as possible.

Adhering to exercise can lead to:

• Decreased risk of falls and decreased reliance on mobility aids
• Improved ability to walk
• Improved lower limb strength
• Maintenance of muscle mass
• Overall independence in accessing the community

Physiotherapy for Neurological Disorders

As experts in movement and function, physiotherapists are qualified to assess and manage the physical signs of neurological conditions, such as impaired mobility, balance, posture and dexterity.

They can manage high muscle tone and the secondary impacts of neurological disorders, such as pain and stiffness and breathing problems. They may also be involved in your recovery after an injury.

Neurological physiotherapy aims to improve function, support your independence and/or minimise functional decline

Examples of physio services include:

• Exercises aimed at improving walking, balance, arm function, hand dexterity and coordination
• Management of lung function including airway clearance techniques and breathing exercises
• Vestibular assessment and rehabilitation
• Management of acute or chronic pain and stiffness
• Sensory-motor integration training
• Education and advice on symptom management
• Fatigue management
• Assessment and training in the use of mobility aids

Active Ability’s experienced physios will discuss your medical history, assess your function and talk to you (and your support people) about your therapy needs and goals.

Based on the findings, we’ll develop a treatment plan to help you achieve what’s important to you, with the goal of improved quality of life, independence and capacity to participate at home, work and in your community.

Physios can also train carers and support people in strategies to help you mobilise and transfer safely at home or in the community.

Read this in-depth article for more information:

Neurological Physiotherapy and the NDIS