Cure SMA Releases Booklet on Musculoskeletal System

The nonprofit organization Cure SMA has released another one of its booklets focused on improving care for patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). This edition, which is entitled “The Musculoskeletal System” and included in the organization’s care series booklets, aims to increase knowledge on muscles and bones in order to increase the understanding on the chronic and disabling disease.

The new booklet is an updated version of Cure SMA’s most recent care series booklet and it was written by a group of physicians specializing in SMA and reviewed by families to become easily understandable and clear. “The Musculoskeletal System” is expected to address themes that impact most of the families who are affected by the burden of SMA, as explained by the organization in a press release.

The musculoskeletal system is comprised of muscles, bones and supporting structures of the body, such as the tissue that links muscles and bones, the tendons, or the tissue that links different bones, the ligaments. Since it includes arms, legs and spine — parts of the body that are particularly affected by SMA — the purpose of the booklet is to inform not only the families and the children themselves, but also health care professionals, such as physicians, nurses or therapists, on the impact of SMA on the musculoskeletal system.

“The Musculoskeletal System” is already the seventh publication of Cure SMA’s set of care series booklets. The organization has also recently released another booklet entitled “Advancing Research Toward a Treatment and Cure,” with the purpose of educating people on the SMA research process. After 30 years of funding research projects dedicated to SMA, the organization provided new insights into the scientific advancements related to the disease.

All of the booklets are available online and can be downloaded from the page “support & care publications,” while Cure SMA also makes available printed copies for free to the families who suffer from SMA, which can be requested through the contact [email protected]. The organization has also announced that an eighth booklet from the care series is going to be released  this spring as well under the topic “An Introduction to Clinical Trials.”

In addition, Cure SMA has also recently released the Spring 2015 issue of Compass, its research publication on the organization’s most recent updates. Compass is a newsletter and online publication available for download that seeks to increase the knowledge of patients who suffer from SMA and other people interested in understanding the undergoing efforts to find a cure for the disease.