Physical Therapists News

As mentioned in our previous article, Michael, our patient with SMA, had been suffering from tailbone pain that was subsided by a modified stuck drawer technique to his sacrum. We had initially intended on performing this every other week, but since Michael has been having no complaints of pain, we…

A frequent complaint and limitation for patients that have been diagnosed with SMA is lack of flexibility throughout their body. Contractures, or shortening of muscles leading to deformity of joints, can occur secondary to lack of ability to perform active range of motion and being in a seated position for…

Individuals that are sedentary, like my patient Michael, are more prone to having kidney stones secondary to too little activity as well as possible reduced fluid intake due to other restrictions, such as reduced upper extremity strength and ability to self-nourish. In the past 20 years, Michael has undergone surgery…

Throughout Michael’s physical therapy treatments, there have been several progressions of seated balance activities that we have worked on as he has demonstrated improved abilities to perform these activities. When we were first able to transfer Michael to the therapy table, all that was performed in a seated position was…

Cervical, or neck, range of motion is important for many different reasons. A major reason it is needed has to do with safety with scanning the environment during functional activities. Due to scoliosis, Michael has had most of his thoracic and lumbar spine fused, which has limited his range…

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…