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Children – Posture, Movement & Exercise

Children – Posture, Movement & Exercise

Last reviewed October 2024

As all children respond to treatment and develop differently, the impact of SMA on their  muscle strength will vary. Their SMA is, though, likely in some way to impact on their ability to keep up with daily activities. This includes tasks such as getting up and dressed, using the toilet, holding cutlery and pencils. Physiotherapists describe them as your child’s ‘functional abilities’.

Another common impact of SMA is tightening of joints (contractures). This can lead to pain and difficulty moving. These problems are common early on for children who are ‘non-sitters’ and for children who are ‘sitters’. They tend to occur later for children who are ‘walkers’. Again this will vary depending on response to treatment and individual differences.

There are different ways of helping to manage these posture and movement challenges. Your child’s physiotherapist and clinical team will assess your child’s needs and have a full discussion with you about best management and care.

Chapter 3 Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation > of the Family Guide to the 2017 International Standards of Care for SMA (SoC) summarises the key recommendations that were made then. Although this provides a useful reference point, a 3-year project is now underway to update all these standards for the UK. Any updates to this advice will be published once this area of care has been reviewed by the SMA Care UK > project. Your child’s physio and clinical team will be up to date with any changes.

If your child has been recently diagnosed, you may also find helpful information in whichever of these guides is the ‘best fit’ for your child:

You can find related information in: Spine, Hips and Bones (the open up tab further down the page) and Equipment >.

Maxwell (a young adult who has SMA Type 2) and Robert Muni Lofra (Consultant Physio) discuss what exercises work for Maxwell and what a physio considers when they recommend an exercise plan:

Recorded: October 2023

 

Lindsey Pallant (Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist) and Felicity Vann (Senior Specialist Paediatric Physiotherapist ) talk to Martyn Sibley. They discuss functional abilities, contractures and posture management: