Author Archives: Emily Jones

I’ve been on leave for a few months, while Michael, a patient I work with who has spinal muscular atrophy, has been working with other therapists at my office. Over the next few weeks, I will be returning as Michael’s primary physical therapist. My plan is to meet…

When a person lives in a home where they need help with everyday activities, they usually have an in-home caregiver or live in an assisted community. It is preferable that they are able to live in their home with help, as it increases comfort and a sense of independence,…

Prior to any planned break, a therapist should have a plan for their patients while they are gone, who will work with them, and coordinate with the new therapist to ensure all of the patient’s information is passed along correctly. This is especially true for a patient like Michael, who…

I’ve been working with a patient, Michael, who has spinal muscular atrophy. Michael uses a motorized wheelchair, and recently moved to a new chair. Since then, he has experienced increased right hip and tailbone pain off and on with numbness down his right leg as he’s tried to get…

It is important to reach out to other healthcare professionals if you are working with a patient who has a long-lasting complaint you are not able to fully solve. Michael, a patient I work with who has spinal muscular atrophy, has continued to experience increased tailbone pain since…

As mentioned in previous articles, Michael, our patient who has spinal muscular atrophy, recently transitioned to a new power wheelchair. After this transition, Michael has experienced increased right hip and tailbone pain off and on with numbness down his right leg. We have performed many activities with…

While working with any population that isn’t able to independently move around, or doesn’t move frequently for any reason, pressure sores should be checked for regularly. We call these skin checks and they are done to check frequently affected areas, such as bony places on the body or places where…

Looking forward to this new year of physical therapy with Michael, my patient who has spinal muscular atrophy, we will continue to work toward improving his functionality in the new wheelchair he began using last year. Even though we have been working in this chair for a few…

Over the past year, we have spent time focusing on various growth areas for my patient with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), Michael. Those include edema in his lower extremities, along with ways to improve his benefits for increased lung capacity, and improving flexibility for future strengthening. We’ve also…

Michael, my patient who has spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), has recently transferred into a new wheelchair and was experiencing significant discomfort in his right hip while seated. We performed several different modalities and activities on Michael’s tailbone to increase his comfort. A combination of these adjustments was…