Over the past few weeks, the charity has received several requests from existing and potential supporters to find out more about the people we support and the conditions they live with.
The primary condition seen is Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The West of England MS Therapy Centre is the main charity under The Brightwell umbrella. It was established over 37 years ago, originally in Nailsea and then moved to its new location in Bradley Stoke, in 2012.
The focus of the Brightwell isto support those living with chronic neurological conditions. Over the years, people with other chronic conditions have come to the centre for therapies, including oxygen therapy.
As can be seen in the illustration above, people living with or having fought cancer make up the second largest group after MS, closely followed by those living with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME). 5% of those who come to the centre have a variety of other neurological conditions including Motor Neuron Disease (MND), Parkinson’s, Stroke and Fibromyalgia, to mention a few.
These figures are based on data from 2021. The Brightwell opened its doors in May 2020 following the initial lockdown and remained open during subsequent pandemic restrictions. It will be interesting to see the data for 2022, although it is anticipated that the percentage figures will be similar, with a higher volume of participants.
The Brightwell is also delighted to welcome those with short term/acute conditions such as muscle injury and broken bones, who benefit from the oxygen therapy as part of their healing process. Many of those needing immediate intervention come from professional sports backgrounds including rugby, cricket and football.
As can be seen from the list of conditions a new addition is for those living with the long-term effects of Covid referred to as “Long Covid”. The anecdotal evidence regarding the benefits of using the hyperbaric chamber are very positive so far. A number of studies are looking into these benefits, and the findings from this research will be of great interest to all those living with these symptoms
Below is a breakdown of the numbers coming to us for physiotherapy and oxygen.
The physiotherapy team are specialist neuro-physios, with a fully adapted physiotherapy area. If you would like to find out more about the therapies available, please visit www.thebrightwell.org.uk