Multi-Disciplinary Team

Here is some information about member of the Multi-disciplinary Team (MDT) regarding who they are and how they can help you:

The NMOSD Specialist Nurse

• To use us as a point of contact when you are worried or concerned about any new symptoms
• Information or advice regarding medication
• Support of for relapse concerns
• Advice and liaison with local neurology services regarding relapse management
• An assessment of your symptoms
• Referral to local therapists, continence adviser
• Information regarding NMOSD and medications to increase your understanding

The Dietician

Provide advice on nutrition and health. For people with NMOSD, advice may be given for weight management (weight gain or loss) or for optimising nutritional status.

The Orthoptist

• Assessment and quantification of your level of vision
• Relating this information to your visual needs and requirements
• Transferring this information to team members
• Bilateral visual loss will impact on
• Mobility
• Work
• Hobbies
• Social interaction

The Physiotherapist

• Discussion around any physical problems you have identified
• examples can include reduced balance, limb weakness, stiffness, spasms Identifying any physical issues that have not been addressed up to now
• Information about any Physiotherapy input in the past
• Information about any previous discomfort of injury
• Discussion around current levels of activity / exercise/ physical care programmes
• Referral to local services for further input can be made
• Referrals or provision of some aids such as walking sticks, hand supports, wheelchairs can be made

The Occupational Therapist

• Discussion about your everyday activities and roles
• Questions about what you have stopped doing or never started
• Questions about your home environment and support
• Discussion about any previous OT input
• Discussion about impact of symptoms
Analysing your lifestyle, activities and roles to identify areas of difficulty, and working with you to develop skills and learn ways in which activities can be successfully carried out.
Adapting the activity itself, for example, by advising on specialist equipment to assist in carrying it out or learning a new technique.

NMOSD Counsellor

Provides help and support to patients including:
• Advice on coming to terms with diagnosis
• Advice on managing worries around long term illness and prognosis
• Referrals to local counselling servicing

In Summary

Having NMOSD has many different symptoms that all interact with each other, the therapists can help and guide you to make daily life a little easier, but you must take control.