Supportive physiotherapy and occupational therapy in spinal muscular atrophy — matched to your level of function and your medication.
🧬 New medicines such as nusinersen and risdiplam have transformed the outlook in SMA — and made intensive supporting therapy even more important.
Medically: spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a genetic condition caused by a mutation in the SMN1 gene. Motor neurones in the spinal cord degenerate. It is classified as SMA type 1 (severe, infancy), SMA type 2 (intermediate), SMA type 3 (mild, walking preserved or lost) and SMA type 4 (adult onset). New gene therapies (Zolgensma) and splice modifiers (Spinraza/Evrysdi) have transformed the outlook.
The muscles are weaker than other people’s. Some movements work with a great deal of effort, others not at all. Living with SMA means finding out anew each day what is possible — and sometimes noticing that what worked yesterday is harder today. Focused therapy can steady this course and keep abilities for longer.
Diagnosis and medical treatment of spinal muscular atrophy — including modern therapies such as gene therapy or SMN2 modulators — lie with specialist neurologists. We are your specialists for the accompanying movement therapy that maintains and builds motor function. We agree the therapy goals closely with the medical findings and the course of the illness. The focus is on building strength, maintaining walking or sitting and trunk control, and respiratory therapy.
In SMA, therapy is not optional — it is essential. Together with modern medicines such as nusinersen (Spinraza) or risdiplam (Evrysdi), specialist supporting therapy shows striking results: what the medication makes possible neurologically, focused physiotherapy turns into function — in strength, coordination and everyday ability. An experienced therapy team provides treatment that is targeted and tailored to you.
This page is for adults with SMA. Information on SMA therapy for children and young people can be found at HOME4MOTION Kids.
SMA shows itself very differently depending on type and stage — from mild weakness to severe impairment.
The affected muscles are weaker from birth or become progressively weaker. What others do effortlessly takes people with SMA enormous effort.
This varies with the type of SMA: from mild weakness to full wheelchair use. Mobility is the central issue.
In more severe forms of SMA the breathing muscles are involved — which calls for respiratory support and particular therapeutic care.
In some forms of SMA the swallowing and speech muscles are affected too — speech and language therapy is then an important part of treatment.
New medicines such as nusinersen create the foundation; focused physiotherapy and occupational therapy make the most of it. Come to us for a therapy plan built around you.
Straightforward, personal, no waiting list.
Tell us about your situation — limitations of movement, everyday goals, what assistive devices you need and your medication. We explain how physiotherapy and occupational therapy alongside it can support your development.
We carry out a full assessment: muscle strength, joint mobility, breathing and everyday skills. From this comes a therapy plan matched to you, working with your current level of function.
Regular sessions of physiotherapy and occupational therapy — matched to what you can manage and to your progress. At the end there is a follow-up assessment showing what you have achieved.
Real experiences, real progress — how our clients have regained independence, confidence and quality of life despite their diagnosis.
The therapists know exactly where my limits are — and where more is still possible. That is a big difference from before.
Read the stories of our clients — people with very different diagnoses who began therapy at HOME4MOTION and achieved noticeable progress in their daily lives.
Read the whole story →Answers to the most common questions about your condition and therapy — explained clearly and gathered in one place. So you can read at your own pace and come to your appointment well prepared and at ease.
In a free initial consultation we show you what is possible with your condition — in person, by phone or online.
