August is Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness Month. Spinal Muscular Atrophy, or SMA, is a rare genetic disease found mainly in newborns and children. SMA is a disease that affects the spinal nerves and causes weakness, especially in muscles closest to the spine. Find out what causes it, what types of SMA there are, as well as where to go for genetic testing and detailed information about Spinal Muscular Atrophy.