This is a clinic for children and young people who have weakness because of a problem with their muscles or nerves. Children may be seen in the clinic by a specialist physiotherapist and neuromuscular care advisor as well as a doctor.
When you first come to the clinic you may need to have some tests to find out what is causing the weakness of your muscles. Some children have blood tests after the clinic and some need to come back to hospital for a muscle biopsy – where a tiny sample of muscle tissue is taken for specialised tests.
Children with muscle weakness come for regular clinic visits once or twice a year where their muscle strength is measured and monitored. Many are seen at the same clinic appointment by the respiratory doctors and nurses to check their breathing muscles. Some children and young people with muscle disorders, such as muscular dystrophy or spinal muscular atrophy, take part in clinic trials of new treatments for their condition.
