Parkinson’s Disease Support Group

Movement disorders are common and account for 3-8% of neurological disorders with a crude prevalence rate varying between 31(>60+yrs) to 45/100,000 and these are twice more frequent in rural India. Parkinson’s Disease (PD) forms 5-60% of total movement disorders with variations in geographical areas.
Parkinson’s Support Group (PSG), Vashi, Navi Mumbai, was an initiative taken up by MGM School of Physiotherapy in 2010 in collaboration with Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorder Society (PDMDS), Mumbai to attempt to provide comprehensive rehabilitation to People with Parkinson’s Disease (PwP) in Navi Mumbai and Raigad district. PDMDS has various support groups at various locations in Mumbai. People from Navi Mumbai had to travel to Mumbai for attending these informative sessions for their health benefit and Physiotherapy sessions. MGM School of Physiotherapy, Navi Mumbai is first organization in Navi Mumbai to initiate such a support group and is the only one till date to provide such service. These support group sessions are conducted on fourth Wednesday of every month along with Physiotherapy sessions which are conducted on every Wednesday. Support group sessions touch on various symptomatic management of Parkinson’s Disease like speech modulation, improving their flexibility and mobility through various new approaches like LSVT, music therapy, dance therapy, improving their fine motor skills and cognition through hand exercises and recreational activities like origami, cognitive rehabilitation to improve their memory and attention, training them on dual tasking etc.

Stroke Support Group

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability in India. Estimated adjusted prevalence rate of stroke range, 84-262/100,000 in rural and 334-424/100,000 in urban areas and incidence rate is 119-145/100,000 (Pandian et al. 2013).
Stroke Support Group (SSG) was an initiative taken by MGM School of Physiotherapy, Navi Mumbai in 2015 with an intention to cater to varied needs of people with Stroke under one roof. Stroke directory has been maintained by Institute since then which now has 300+ patients as service takers. This activity has strengthened workload of Department of Neuro Physiotherapy which is beneficial for students as stakeholders in terms of academics and research related activities of department. Support group meetings conducted are in form of group sessions which are conducted bimonthly, where experts from various fields are invited to deliver talk on problems encountered by Stroke patients, for e.g., speech difficulties, psychological issues, issues related to mobility and balance, diet and nutrition specific to Stroke. Neuro physicians, speech therapist, Psychiatrists, nutritionist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist also answer individual queries in these sessions and need based one-to one therapy is provided. Patients are encouraged to attend regular therapy sessions provided in Neurorehabilitation OPD of MGM Hospital, Kamothe, Navi Mumbai

SCI Support Group

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a traumatic event that impacts a patient’s physical, psychological, and social well-being. Abrupt onset of spinal cord injury (SCI) is tragic and has a profound impact on the individuals and their families. In India, approximately 1.5 million people live with SCI. Approximate 20,000 new cases of SCI are added every year (Singh, 2012).
Spinal Cord Injury Support Group (SCISG) was an initiative taken by MGM School of Physiotherapy, Navi Mumbai in 2018 with an intention to cater to varied needs of people with Spinal Cord Injury under one roof. This activity has strengthened workload of Department of Neuro Physiotherapy which is beneficial for students as stakeholders in terms of academics and research related activities of department. Support group meetings conducted are in form of group sessions which are conducted monthly, where experts from various fields are invited to deliver talk on problems encountered by Spinal Cord Injury patients, for e.g., Bowel and Bladder issues, psychological issues, role of physical activity, Employment, Rights of persons with disability, musculoskeletal pains, diet and nutrition specific to Spinal cord Injury. Neurophysicians, Psychiatrists, nutritionist, urologists, physiotherapist and social workers also answer individual queries in these sessions and need based one-to one therapy is provided. Patients are encouraged to attend regular therapy sessions provided to inmates at Smt. Kamla Raheja Rehabilitation Centre for Paraplegics, Vas

Cerebral palsy Support Group

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of motor disorders caused by non - progressive insults to brain during early development leading to symptoms such as spasticity, paresis, and poor motor control. These impairments affect the child’s overall function, performance and participation in activities of daily living. Nearly 15-20% of physically disabled children are affected by cerebral palsy. In India, the estimated incidence is around 3/1000 live births.
A common platform for Comprehensive neurological rehabilitation and patients to discuss their concerns, share their queries and interact with experts on one-to-one basis was deemed necessary to provide holistic care and awareness of various aspects related to management of cerebral palsy.
A support group was constituted under the leadership and guidance of Dr. Rajani Mullerpatan by, Department of Neuro Physiotherapy, MGM School of Physiotherapy, Kamothe in collaboration with Department of Paediatric Medicine, Navi Mumbai.
The first Cerebral Palsy Support group was conducted on 6th October 2018, then onwards Cerebral Palsy Support Group, is organised every month for children with cerebral palsy and their parents and caregivers. Every month 1 subject expert of the vast interdisciplinary team is called upon to create awareness and disseminate patient care.
Since its initiation, 12 Cerebral Palsy support groups have been conducted and upto 116 families with special children have benefitted from it.
The support groups have successfully created awareness about the disease and its effects on various systems. Tailor made exercise programs, nutritional counselling, speech therapy sessions, orthosis and assistive devices have been provided through the medium of Cerebral Palsy Support group. Eye and dental check - up, education regarding various government schemes have also been provided.

Down’s Syndrome Support group

Children with down’s syndrome demonstrate delay in functional development, specifically in eye-hand co-ordination, bimanual tasks, gross and fine motor tasks. They also exhibit delay in motor development and physical activity pattern. They are also prone to disorders of multiple systems such as congenital cardiac conditions, orthopaedic problems, sensory processing disorders and suffer from gait impairments, balance issues.
A need for comprehensive management and regular screening with an Interdisciplinary approach to improve awareness about the disorder in parents and caregivers was felt.
Down Syndrome Support Group (DSSG) is an initiative taken up by MGM School of Physiotherapy, Navi Mumbai under the leadership and guidance of Dr. Rajani Mullerpatan (Director and Professor, MGM School of Physiotherapy) with an intention to cater to varied needs of children and adults with Down Syndrome under one roof.
DSSG is a bimonthly conducted support group, in which experts from various fields are invited to deliver talk on various issues encountered by parents and caregivers of Down Syndrome; e.g., speech difficulties, learning difficulties, social participation problems, problems related to mobility and acquiring a functional task.
The first DSSG was conducted on 8th September 2021, on virtual platform through ZOOM, which benefitted 20 parents and caregivers. Awareness about the importance of physical fitness and supervised exercise programs was created.

Amputation Support Group

Amputation support group was inaugurated on 8 th September 2021 by MGM School of Physiotherapy in collaboration with MGM Institute’s University Department of Prosthetics and Orthotics. We provide comprehensive rehabilitation to patients with amputation in Navi Mumbai and aim to improve overall fitness of individuals with amputation.

Arthritis Support Group

Arthritis support group was inaugurated on the occasion of World Physiotherapy day, 8 th September 2021 by MGM School of Physiotherapy, Navi Mumbai. Arthritis Support Group aims at helping people with arthritis to have an independent living. The activities of the group focus on setting Physiotherapy goals, conduct comprehensive evaluation and advise individualized exercise regimen based on individual needs, medical condition, and physical ability. Patients diagnosed with the following conditions are attended to in Arthritis Support Group

• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Fibromyalgia
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Spondyloarthropathies