A FORMER Royal Marine who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis has praised his local physiotherapy service for helping him fight back against the disease.

Paul Kerr, from Dunoon, was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS in 2007, three years after leaving the Marines.

He said: “I started with a very physical and capable body and I also had a mindset where I was good at taking on challenges, so whenever things went pear-shaped with MS, I wasn’t going to lie down to it. I was determined to drive myself forward. But I don’t want other people to think physiotherapy won’t work for them just because I’m an ex-Royal Marine. Everyone’s MS is different.”

Mr Kerr, 39, believes his symptoms date back to the end of his career in the Marines but it was only later when he complained to his GP about “numb patches” on his body that it was diagnosed.

The father-of-one still has a severe limp as a result of aggressive MS attacks in the past, before he was prescribed the drug fingolimod, and he uses a stick to walk long distances.

However, he says physiotherapy has made a “massive” difference.

“They’ve given me a leg brace to wear. Over time it will ‘wake up’ the muscles that have been asleep for the past four years in my leg and as long as I push it, which I do, and working closely with Dunoon physiotherapy, it will strengthen the muscles that have not been working over the past few years.

“I see my physio as often as I want to see her. I can only praise these people. They do things for me that make me feel quite humbled because I can’t believe the level of support I get from them.”

Mr Kerr was speaking about his treatment as an online physiotherapy programme developed for MS patients in Scotland is being tested overseas.

Researchers at Glasgow University piloted the web-based physio regime with 90 MS patients in areas including Ayrshire, Lothian and Plymouth in England. They wanted to test whether a “telehealth” model could bolster physiotherapy in areas with lower NHS provision. It is now being used as a blueprint in New Zealand and Saskatchewan in Canada, which have similarly high rates of MS to Scotland, as well as rural geography.

Studies have consistentlyshown physiotherapy helps manage symptoms in MS patients but staff shortages and cuts have seen waiting times increase to as much as 50 weeks in some parts of Scotland. Dr Lorna Paul, a rehabilitation expert who led the project, said: “It’s not intended to be ‘instead of’ actualphysiotherapy, it’s designed to be an adjunct.. There are some areas that have got great physio provision for people with MS but there are other places where that’s not the case.”

The results of the Canadian and New Zealand versions will be fed back into the Scottish findings as researchers fine-tune the web-physio programme with a view to introducing it into clinical practice.

Patients who took part in the pilot study were first assessed by physiotherapists who then selected from 250 exercises - demonstrated in videos on the website - ranging from arm strengthening routines to exercises designed to improve walking and balance. They can then log-in at home to practice their regime.

Dr Paul said: “It’s not like putting on a DVD - a one size fits all regime - it’s very personalised to the patient’s own issues. In the old days you used to give someone a sheet of exercises and the patients would go home and do them for a couple of weeks, but then the sheet would get lost or shoved away in a drawer and the patient would forget what to do.”

She said the feedback from patients had been positive.

Morna Simpkins, director of the MS Society Scotland, said: “For the 11,000 people living with MS in Scotland, access to the right support is vital. However, we know that access to services remains a postcode lottery.” Our last UK wide survey of people with MS told us that only 40 per cent had seen a physiotherapist in relation to their MS.

“MS is often painful and can cause problems with how we walk and move. Good access to a physiotherapist can make all the difference. We are committed to driving research into long term rehabilitation, and looking at the role technology can play in ensuring that people with MS have access to the support they need to self-manage their condition.Sara Conroy, of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists Scotland, added: “There is no doubt that physiotherapy can be of tremendous benefit to people with MS, and there is a strong evidence base to support intervention. However, whether people can get the appropriate quality and access to services can still vary greatly depending on the location, particularly in relation to the specialist MS physiotherapy.”