Our featured video and brief video clips share information about managing bowel function after sustaining a spinal cord injury. In this video, SCI Model Systems Researchers share how they helped individuals with SCI develop a bowel program.
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 is the study about?
Survival within two years after spinal cord injury (SCI) has greatly improved over the past few decades, although long-term survival after the first two years has not shown significant improvement. However, people with SCI still have higher rates of mortality than people without SCI. To better ...
A pressure sore (also called pressure ulcer, decubitus ulcer, decubiti (plural), bedsore or skin breakdown) is an area of the skin or underlying tissue (muscle, bone) that is damaged due to loss of blood flow to the area. Blood flow to the skin keeps it alive and healthy. If the ...
What do I need to know?
Individuals with SCI are at high risk for developing pressure sores.
Pressure sores can be life threatening.
Possible complications:
Infections can develop and spread to the blood, heart and bone.
Amputations
Prolonged bed rest necessary for healing can keep you out of work, school and social activities for months.
Because ...
What do I need to know?
Ninety-five percent of all pressure sores are preventable!
After spinal cord injury, your skin requires daily care and a lot of attention.
You will need to spend time daily cleaning the skin, keeping it dry (from incontinence or perspiration), checking the skin for problems or changes, moving ...
What is skin tolerance?
Skin tolerance is how much time your skin can stand to be under pressure before damage starts to occur. Each person's skin tolerance is different. Some people may need to relieve pressure very often, others may not have to do it as often, but they still need ...
Areas where bones are close to the surface (called "bony prominences") and areas that are under the most pressure are at greatest risk for developing pressure sores.
In bed, body parts can be padded with pillows or foam to keep bony prominences (areas where bones are close to the skin surface) ...
How can I tell if I have a pressure sore?
First signs. One of the first signs of a possible skin sore is a reddened, discolored or darkened area (an African American’s skin may look purple, bluish or shiny). It may feel hard and warm to the touch.
A pressure sore has ...
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 ...
This is a part of the Hot Topic podcast series from the Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center on Managing Bowel Function After Spinal Cord Injury. Connie Pines, RN, clinician, discusses Digital Stimulation and Evacuation by a Caregiver. Connie Pines, R.N. Community Outreach and Recruitment University of Michigan Spinal Cord ...
What is the study about?
The main purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between depression and severity of pain among patients with a recent spinal cord injury or disease. The study also examined patient characteristics, neurological function and etiology (traumatic vs. non-traumatic).
What did the study find?
Demographic and neurological ...
What is the study about?
This study examined the effectiveness of the medication Venlafaxine in treating pain in people with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). The medication, Venlafaxine XR, is a treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). In addition to measuring its effectiveness for treating depression, the researchers were interested in measuring ...
What is the study about?
The study aimed to investigate whether grief is something that is measurably different from depression in individuals who have recently sustained a spinal cord injury (SCI).
What did the study find?
The statistical analysis of the data found that grief symptoms are measurably different from symptoms of depression ...
What is the study about?
The goal of this study was to evaluate the type of treatment for depression preferred by individuals with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). Research has shown that people with SCI who have depression are likely to have long-term depression and often do not receive sufficient treatment for ...
What is the study about?
This study investigated the effectiveness of CareCall, an interactive, low-cost phone system developed for adults with spinal cord injury (SCI) and multiple sclerosis (MS). Callers to CareCall receive automated medical support and information. Researchers looked at how CareCall is used by and benefits people with SCI ...
What is the study about?
Researchers developed and tested a bank of depression related items for use in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). They utilized the Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) item bank and linked it to the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). The goal was to provide a ...