Author Archives: Emily Jones

When patients are limited in their range of motion, this can lead to an inability to tolerate certain positions. For example, Michael, who has been diagnosed from an early age with SMA, is severely lacking hip and knee extension, making it hard for him to assume a prone position. This…

People with SMA spend most of their time sitting in a wheelchair. Because of this, they are at an increased risk of developing pressure ulcers. This is due to the increased time spent with weight-bearing through a specific area, usually, a bony prominence, such as the “sit bones,” although they…

For nearly 3 years, I’ve been working with Michael as his primary clinician for physical therapy. Within the past month, I decided to move to a different physical therapy location in Ft. Worth Texas. A few weeks before the change was made, Michael and I discussed his physical therapy needs…

In 1980, when Michael was 15 years old, he underwent scoliosis surgery at Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas. During his preop preparation, his parents performed percussion therapy on his back to keep excess fluid and mucus from building up in his lungs. They did this for three months…

While working with a patient with SMA, you may find it beneficial for the patient, as well as the therapist, to have at least two people available to help in the treatment if you plan to transfer to a therapy table for different exercises. For Michael, we transfer him from…

In preparation for a muscle-targeted treatment, which is currently under development by Scholar Rock for patients with SMA, we have continued to work to maintain the strength improvements Michael has made, but we have also shifted to increasing his range of motion in different joints. In the joints where Michael…

Swelling in the lower extremities is a common occurrence in people who are diagnosed with SMA, secondary to different reasons. Some reasons include lack of muscle contraction and the ability to pump fluid out of their feet, as well as positional limitations during the day as most are in a…

Michael and I have been working together for the past couple of years, and while speaking with each other about my March HCP article, we thought that doing a question-and-answer article would be interesting. Michael would ask me 5 questions, and I would ask him 5 questions. We hope that…

Dry needling has been a popular treatment in the world of physical therapy for the past few years and is continuing to gain popularity with more research being performed. There are many different reasons to use dry needling to improve your patients’ function, with the main reason being to relax…

Transitioning from one wheelchair to another can be especially difficult for people with SMA. Most of the time, it is suggested that you receive a new wheelchair approximately every five years. As for my patient who has SMA, he has been in the same wheelchair for nineteen years. There have…