Welcome to our website. We have developed this website as a resource for health care professionals, people with MS, their families and carers and others interested in ensuring that people with MS have timely access to standing frames.
Standing upright is what humans do and it is highly valued by most individuals, both psychologically (e.g. enabling eye-to-eye interaction) and physiologically (e.g. maintaining muscle strength). Many people with MS cannot stand independently because of weakness or balance issues and often develop disabling complications because of immobility such as muscle weakness, spasms or pain. Some of these complications can mimic progression of MS but may be prevented, slowed down or reversed with regular standing.
Our research (Standing Up in MS – SUMS study), has shown that regular standing in a frame at home can improve strength and functional ability in people with MS and may also help improve other problems such as spasms, incontinence and constipation.
Our aim, therefore, is to try and improve the provision and use of these frames for people with MS in the UK. This website provides a range of information and resources which we hope you will find helpful. The content of this website will be updated as new information arises. If there is additional information that you would find helpful, please let us know via email SUMSstudy@plymouth.ac.uk.
This website is divided into four main areas:
- Why standing is important for people with MS
- Obtaining a standing frame
- How to use a standing frame
- Evidence to support frame use