Lewis Moody: No bond proven between rugby and motor neurons says that Dr. Nick Cole after the former captain of England diagnosed the MND | Rugby Union News

Playing rugby has no causal link with motor neurons, according to an expert in the incurable muscle discharge condition.

The game is under the news of the news that 47 years Former England Captain Lewis Moody received a diagnosis of MNDThis caused the death of other Doddie Weir players, Rob Burrow and Joost Van der Westhuizen.

Leicester and Gloucester Second Row Ed Slater also received the same diagnosis in 2022.

Dr. Nick Cole, research manager at MND Association, said research indicates that a combination of factors is responsible for progressive disease that attacks the brain and spinal cord.

“There is no concrete and final link between rugby and MND,” said Cole.

“Considerable work has been devoted to finding common points or causes with sport and exercise. There have been studies that show that there is an increased risk in people who play professional sport but it was small studies, it was therefore a small increase in a small number of people.

“This is no longer a case of perception because you have these high -level people sharing their stories kindly, but six people will be diagnosed with MND every day.

“So it is not rugby in itself, it could be a genetic predisposition to the development of the MND for people built to be active and participate in sport. We know that the MND is caused by a mixture of environment, lifestyle and genetics.

“Sport could be one of the contributory factors, but there are many other subjects in the MND biology that we are studying to find the effective treatments we need.”

There have been significant recent breakthroughs in treatment after effective treatment for MND genetic form, although this is not yet available on the National Health Service.

The financing of the MND association has supported many discoveries and we hope that more drugs will follow, but neurodegenerative diseases are complex and that a remedy could be found “tomorrow or in several years”.

“We now know that the MND is not unfortable, it is just underfunded and we must collect more funds to do more research to get closer to effective therapies,” said Cole.

“It is an absolutely devastating diagnosis. It is extremely difficult for people and their families to take on board because it comes out of blue and can affect anyone.”

The friends of Moody and the former Leicester teammates, Geordan Murphy and Leon Lloyd, set up a GoFundme page for a British and Irish lion who has capitalized England 12 times.

“The disease can in some people so quickly. A third of people die within two years of diagnosis,” said Cole.

“Each case will require an adaptation of the accommodation, which can be a slow process thanks to the statutory service, so when you have obtained the funding you need, you may have passed to another disability stage.

“The care you need can be expensive, in addition to the inability to work.”