Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Jeevam Therapy Physical Therapy Can Help Your Child’s Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Has your child been diagnosed with scoliosis? Do they suffer from tight joints that refuse to fully bend, or have no movement at all? It can be particularly difficult to watch your little one struggle to grow when their body is seemingly working against them. 

Many infants are diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy at a young age after exhibiting these symptoms. Here at Jeevam Therapy in Edison and Paramus, NJ, our licensed physical therapists are trained to help with spinal muscular atrophy in infants and children. Contact our office today to schedule an appointment.

What Is Spinal Muscular Atrophy?

Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a very common, inherited neuromuscular disease that occurs when a gene is missing, altered, or damaged. The disease causes an infant’s muscles to become very weak to the point of wasting away. 

Motor skills are also negatively affected by SMA (eating, breathing, general movement). If the large motor nerves of the spinal cord do not have the gene, or have a damaged gene, they also do not have the protein that helps them control muscles. Without this protein, motor nerve cells cannot function properly and eventually die. The lower the protein levels are, the more severe the disease can be.

Spinal muscular atrophy is one of the most common causes of death in infants. According to ChoosePT, “[SMA] affects approximately 1 in 10,000 babies born in the United States, of any race or gender. Approximately 1 in every 50 Americans is a genetic carrier of SMA.” 

How Can Jeevam Therapy Physical Therapy  Help? 

Physical therapy is a widely accepted solution for helping infants and children with spinal muscular atrophy to strengthen their muscles and improve their overall motor skills. It’s important that you take your child to see a physical therapist who is skilled in the treatment of small children with neuromuscular disorders.

When you bring your child to our office, one of our physical therapists will evaluate his or her posture, muscle strength, motor skills, and medical history. From there, he or she will combine multiple treatment techniques into a care plan that is specific for your child and their needs.

These treatments will include exercises to improve strength in your child’s muscles, strategies to improve mobility,(sitting, standing, walking, etc), aquatic therapy, assistive technology to maintain function, range of motion exercises, stretches, and more. Your child’s physical therapist will also be able to teach you how to help your child continue treatment at home as well.

Contact Jeevam Therapy in Edison and Paramus, NJ today!

Here at Jeevam Therapy, we understand that it can be difficult and scary to know the right steps to take to help a child with spinal muscular atrophy. We want to alleviate the stress on your shoulders and assist with managing your child’s pain. Contact us today with any questions you may have, and we can set up an appointment for you and your child to meet with one of our skilled pediatric physical therapists for an evaluation.