News

Data on SMA continue to roll out. This month has shown a growing focus and understanding on issues related to nusinersen as well as newborn screening for SMA across the globe. In addition, more preclinical and translation results have been published.  Below is the latest in SMA news and…

With a patient like Michael, who has SMA, it can be a challenge to continue growing their treatment plan by presenting new exercises that help them reach their goals.  Often times we resort to starting a new exercise and modifying it depending on Michael’s performance. Although I know…

The beginning of fall has seen a steady stream of new data elucidating SMA mechanisms, as well as options for managing and treating the disease. There have also been reports of evolving efforts to optimize both SMA research and clinical care, such as through a new SMA registry and the…

Summer has closed with new data and news on SMA coming to the fore. Much of the research on SMA published in recent weeks has focused on how to best treat the disease, and some new debate has emerged surrounding the relative advantages of Zolgensma versus Spinraza. At the same…

Students must perform multiple clinical rotations before they graduate PT or PTA school. When students come into our outpatient clinic, they are exposed to a wide variety of diagnosis. One that always baffles them is SMA. In most cases. SMA is briefly taught about in school, because physical therapy…

Summer is closing with an abundance of new data on SMA. Studies aimed at understanding the disease process continue to provide information on its underlying mechanisms. At the same time, careful investigations of therapeutics are highlighting the potential of these interventions and identifying critical questions for future research, as well…

Your typical SMA patient spends much of their day sitting in a wheelchair. While this may be normal for them, it can cause problems with muscle tightness and soreness during their typical day. My patient, Michael, was diagnosed with severe hip, muscle, and nerve damage in his right…

In July, the literature pertaining to spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) has focused mainly on understanding the disease. Information on treatments has been published largely in review form, while there has also been some new information on managing the disease and what having the disease means for patients.  Here is…

  While the majority of students in physical therapy learn how to transfer patients in school with many different assistance requirements, patients who suffer from spinal muscular atrophy usually present more of a challenge than many physical therapists come across in the field, especially working in an outpatient setting. Some…

Over the past couple of weeks, there have been several new publications regarding spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) treatment. There has also been continued work in the basic science that aims to provide more understanding of the disease as well as research providing information relevant for the management of SMA. …