COVID-19 and SMA

HCPs: 4 Ways the COVID-19 Pandemic is Affecting the SMA Community

 While the entire world has been brought to a standstill by the COVID-19 pandemic, many people reacting – rationally and irrationally - to the threat of the virus are healthy, young, and seemingly at low-risk for long-term or dire health consequences. Those with SMA,...
Read More

Importance of Sitting Balance For Patients With SMA

In physical therapy, one main focus for us is to ensure patients improve on their balance, especially if the reason for their visit is secondary to an injury from a fall. With patients that spend the majority of their time in a wheelchair, we still want to focus a lot...
Read More
SMA clinical practice guidelines

SMA in Mid-March: Clinical Practice Guidelines, Walking and Weakness in Children & More

This month has seen a surge of publications focused on SMA treatments, with a trend towards optimizing various aspects of nusinersen treatment. Research has also continued in areas related to molecular mechanisms of the disease, clinical manifestations, and management...
Read More
SMA fractures

Importance of Maximizing Upper Extremity Functions With SMA Patients

Every patient with SMA has different abilities and deficits as well as different ways of transportation. Most are unable to walk independently, therefore require assistance of some sort. Michael, our patient with SMA, has a power chair that he uses to navigate around....
Read More

SMA HCP Roundup, mid-February: X-linked infantile SMA, Risdiplam News & More

Research on SMA continues to forge ahead in 2020, with new results in from Roche’s latest investigation into its oral SMA drug, risdiplam. New tools for screening are being revealed as legislative changes are pushing more and more toward requiring infants born in the...
Read More

Rolling From Side To Side – Focusing On Abductor & Adductor Muscles

Patients with SMA often spend the majority of their time either in their wheelchair or in their bed. Since they can be fairly limited to these two places, it is important to increase their independence within those areas. Although my patient with SMA, Michael, will...
Read More

SMA News, Late January Edition: Serum Creatinine Biomarkers, Intrathecal Nusinersen & More

New SMA research and news related to newborn screening and the upcoming FDA evaluation of a new drug have kicked off 2020. Below is a roundup of the latest on SMA. Understanding SMA Serum creatinine is a biomarker of progressive denervation in spinal muscular...
Read More

SMA in Early January: Coaxial Curved-Needle Technique, Diagnostic Accuracy of MRI & More

2019 was a year of significant progress in our understanding of SMA and how to best address it – clinically and otherwise. Below is a roundup of some of the final SMA data shared in late 2019. Understanding SMA The classical complement pathway mediates...
Read More

Progress After 2 Years Of Physical Therapy Regarding Core And Neck Muscles

With patients that are diagnosed with SMA, they can have a hard time controlling their neck and trunk, which makes it more difficult to be independent with chair mobility, such as ascending and descending ramps, as well as assisting with transfers. When first starting...
Read More

Assisted Bridge Exercise Along With Hip Abductor And Adductor Muscle Strengthening (Part 2)

Working with a patient with SMA is not all that different from working with any other patient. Your plan of care advances and changes while working with the patient and making observations as you see fit to the patient’s overall wellbeing. To get Michael positioned...
Read More

Latest from SMA News Forum

Resources Listed By HCP Type

Social Workers

Nutritionists

Physical Occupational Therapists

Genetic Counselors

Orthopedics

Pulmonologists

Neurologists

Latest Articles from SMA HCP

HCPs: 4 Ways the COVID-19 Pandemic is Affecting the SMA Community

HCPs: 4 Ways the COVID-19 Pandemic is Affecting the SMA Community

Mar 27, 2020

 While the entire world has been brought to a standstill by the COVID-19 pandemic, many people reacting – rationally and irrationally - to the threat of the virus are healthy, young, and seemingly at low-risk for long-term or dire health consequences. Those with SMA,...

Importance of Sitting Balance For Patients With SMA

Importance of Sitting Balance For Patients With SMA

Mar 26, 2020

In physical therapy, one main focus for us is to ensure patients improve on their balance, especially if the reason for their visit is secondary to an injury from a fall. With patients that spend the majority of their time in a wheelchair, we still want to focus a lot...

SMA Patient Columns

My Experience with the JACO Robotic Arm

Throughout my life, I have required assistance with the most basic tasks. Things like scratching my head, getting myself a drink, or picking something up off the floor are just a few items on a never-ending list of impossibilities. Fortunately, there is now technology...
Read More

The Amino Acid Diet and Its Benefits

Nutrition has always been a challenge for my daughter, Ella. And, in turn, it is a challenge for my wife and me. Due to Ella's disease, she has an increased amount of difficulty digesting long-chain fats (meats, cheeses, etc.) and she also has a hard time maintaining...
Read More

Newly Added HCP Resources

Article links are disabled until you log in.

Please register or login to continue.