August is Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness Month
Our City & County care workers often work with clients who have one or more health conditions. These can include diabetes, cancer, spinal injuries, dementia, stroke and others. Some of our clients may also be living with conditions such as spinal muscular atrophy.
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a genetic condition that makes the muscles weaker and causes problems with movement. It’s important to be aware of the condition and symptoms.
SMA is a serious condition that gets worse over time, but there are treatments to help manage the symptoms.
Symptoms of SMA:
The symptoms of SMA and when they first appear depend on the type of SMA a person has. Typical symptoms include:
• floppy or weak arms and legs
• movement problems – such as difficulty sitting up, crawling or walking
• twitching or shaking muscles (tremors)
• bone and joint problems – such as an unusually curved spine (scoliosis)
• swallowing problems
• breathing difficulties
SMA does not affect intelligence or cause learning disabilities.
You can find out more about the condition on the following website: Spinal Muscular Atrophy UK – SMA Charity (smauk.org.uk)
If you’re interested in becoming a care worker, visit our careers website to see our current vacancies
