What You Need to Know Before Choosing an Inpatient Rehabilitation Center
After a spinal cord injury (SCI), people need rehabilitation (rehab) to help them reach the highest level of functional independence. Many health care facilities offer rehab programs, but a limited number have expertise and experience in SCI rehab care. ...
Opioids are drugs naturally found in the opium poppy plant. While some opioids like morphine are made from the plant directly, others such as fentanyl and tramadol are created in a lab. Opioids are often used as medicines because they can relieve pain. However, opioids can also make people feel ...
What you need to know?
Your ability to control urine release may be limited because of injury. You may not be able to stop urine from flowing out of your body, or you may not be able to release urine from your body.
The inability to control the release of urine is ...
What you need to know?
Your spinal cord injury (SCI) might limit your ability to control your urine. You might not be able to stop urine from flowing, or you might not be able to release it.
Uncontrolled urination or inability to empty your bladder can have a negative effect on your ...
Difficulty walking is very common following a spinal cord injury (SCI). People with SCI may have gait training included in their therapy plans. Gait training is practicing walking with assistive devices, braces and other types of support as needed.
Spasticity is the uncontrolled tightening or contracting of the muscles that is common in individuals with spinal cord injuries. About 65%–78% of the SCI population have some amount of spasticity, and it is more common in cervical (neck) than thoracic (chest) and lumbar (lower back) injuries.
Most people with spinal cord injuries (SCI) want to work yet need support, training and vocational rehabilitation services to help them obtain and keep a job. These sources of support may help to overcome many barriers that are outside the individual’s control, such as financial and health care issues, accessibility, ...
Transferring in and out of your wheelchair puts higher stress on your arms and shoulders than anything else you do on a regular basis. Learning the correct way to transfer is extremely important in order to keep your arms functioning and pain-free.
Pain is a serious problem for many people with spinal cord injuries (SCI). Pain after SCI can occur in parts of the body where there is normal sensation (feeling) as well as areas that have little or no feeling.
What Is Nutrition?
Nutrition is the way your body uses the six major nutrients needed for health and function.
Water
Fats
Protein
Vitamins
Carbohydrates
Minerals
Why Is Nutrition Important?
Your body changes after spinal cord injury (SCI). There is usually reduced muscle and bone mass, added fat, and other changes that make it critical to follow a healthy diet ...
What you need to know
Low bone density occurs when the body loses too much bone. This causes weak bones that are easier to break. Bone loss can occur immediately after spinal cord injury (SCI) and can continue rapidly for several years after the injury. The medical term for low bone ...
Musculoskeletal pain may be due to injury or overuse of muscles or arthritis of joints. It is a common problem for all people as they get older, including those with SCI. However, you can adjust your activity in different ways to help reduce or prevent musculoskeletal pain. These activity modifications ...
Adjustment is how you adapt to or become used to changes in your life. CI affects almost every aspect of your life when it happens, and it can be hard to put your life back in order and adjust to living with SCI.
If you have an SCI, adaptive sports and recreation may be key to your lifelong wellness. These activities may also help you to engage with your community.
What is a urinary tract infection?
A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection in your urinary system. This system includes your kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra.
What causes UTI?
The most common cause of UTI starts when bacteria enter the bladder through the urethra. The bacteria may multiply in the bladder to ...
The pressure relief technique you use will depend on your level of injury, the type of wheelchair you use and how much movement and strength you have in your arms and shoulders.
Tilting or reclining
If you are unable to perform independent pressure reliefs, you can use a power tilt wheelchair for ...
What does the respiratory system do?
Your respiratory system (or pulmonary system) is responsible for breathing. This system enables you to inhale oxygen into your blood and exhale carbon dioxide. Your body needs the oxygen to survive, and carbon dioxide must be removed to avoid the build-up of acid in your ...
Introduction
Wheelchair breakdowns can injure wheelchair users and limit mobility and social participation. Poor wheelchair maintenance increases the risk of wheelchair breakdowns and personal injury or death, and increases the costs of medical care. The number of users injured from wheelchair breakdowns doubled from 1991 to 2016.
According to a 2016 study, ...
Are you thinking about getting pregnant?
Having a spinal cord injury (SCI) does not affect your ability to naturally become pregnant, carry, and deliver a baby, so your decision to have children is made in much the same way as anyone else. You consider the demands and challenges of parenting and ...