What is Spinal Muscular Atrophy?
Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a genetic neuromuscular disorder that causes atrophied muscles due to the lack of innervations. When muscle cells are not being exercised daily, they become very small and begin to break down. About 4 out of 100,000 people are affected with this disorder and there is currently not a known cure. Various muscles throughout the body are affected by SMA thus resulting in the patients having trouble performing simple tasks due to muscle weakness. The proximal muscles, those closes to the trunk of the body, are the most severely affected by the disease. This is mainly the neck, back, shoulders or hips. The legs are usually more adversely affected than the arms. There are four types of SMA that depend at what age the disease begins. Usually, the younger the disease starts in a patient, the shorter the life expectancy. Drug therapy is currently being developed to increase innervation of the muscles and should be heading to clinical trials within the next few years. For the time being, a device is needed that helps these patients maintain their muscle mass and range of motion.