A Spinal Cord Injury Attorney » Health

Spinal Cord Injury by Physiotherapists

admin — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:02:46 +0000

Jonathan Blood-smyth asked:

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is an uncommon but very serious condition usually from a high velocity incident but can also be caused by tumours, infections and loss of blood supply to the spinal cord. It occurs predominantly in younger persons who undertake more risky activities but can present at any age, with motor vehicle accidents the most common cause. SCI needs intensive and skilled management from a multidisciplinary team to achieve the best outcome of independence for the patient. The resulting injuries from this condition are known as paraplegia or quadriplegia.

The initial medical evaluation is performed to establish the respiratory status of the patient and deal with any other of the likely multiple injuries. Once the patient is stabilised the doctors try and work out the level in the spine where the damage has occurred, an important fact as it relates closely to medical and therapy management. A low lumbar fracture will have no effect on the arms or the ability to breathe so the patient will have good trunk and arm power and the aerobic ability to develop independence. Cervical and upper thoracic injuries impair the respiratory ability of the patient and limit arm function, making rehabilitation much harder.

Assessment of the patient’s respiratory status is the initial concern of the physiotherapist, often in the intensive care unit. The physiotherapist will attempt to encourage the patient to expand their lungs, deep breathe and cough any secretions up to clear their chest. Paralysis of the lower trunk can reduce propulsive force and thereby the effectiveness of coughing, a process which the physiotherapist helps by stabilising the lower abdomen during attempted coughing. Suction may be needed in severe cases and coughing can be promoted by using a cough assist machine.

Once the emergency treatment has been provided and the medical condition of the patient is stable they can be transferred to a ward. Spinal surgery may be performed, using internal fixation and bone grafting, to stabilise the fractured spinal segments. Once the segments are stable the patient can begin early rehabilitation without waiting for fracture healing which for the spine can take up to 12 weeks. Physiotherapists review the patient’s respiratory coping, teach range of movement and strengthening exercises for unaffected parts and put the paralysed areas through full passive range of movement several times every day to maintain the joint ranges.

The physiotherapist will ensure good positioning of the patient to protect the site of the fracture, ensure good skin pressure care and prepare the patient to be able to adopt and maintain the postures they will need to be independent. The physiotherapist will place the patient in the frog position, with the hips abducted and flexed and the soles of the feet together. This position is very important for the patient to be able to sit upright with good balance, manage the care of their feet, lean forward and move their legs and manage their bladder care by catheterising themselves.

Positioning the spinal cord injured patient is very important for safety of the fracture site, for pressure care of the skin and for preparing the patients body for the positions they will need to live as independently as possible. The frog position is one of the postures the physiotherapist will place the patient in, with the hips bent up and the knees placed out to the side so the soles of the feet are touching. The patient will need this position to manage their sitting balance to lean forward to move the legs, to self-catheterise and to get to their feet to put on socks and manage foot care.

By this time the patient will have learned trunk control in sitting, wheelchair transfers and strengthening work, so at this stage they should be routinely transferred to a unit specialising in spinal injuries. Experienced advice from the multidisciplinary team about the large number of skills they need to learn is available there to foster the highest level of independence. Many factors impact on whether the patient can lead a fully independent life including their age, other medical difficulties, family support, motivation and attitude and the spinal level affected. Some people with higher lesions may need routine care from a pool of carers throughout the day.

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Technorati Tags: Lower Abdomen, Multidisciplinary Team, Respiratory Status

Insight Into Spinal Cord Injury

admin — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:21:47 +0000

EMMA WANJIKU asked:

Have you ever wondered what happens to the spinal cord when it is injured? Not very many people are curious until they are affected directly or indirectly. It is vital to have information about spinal cord injury because knowledge is power. The following is an overview of spinal cord injury. First, let us explore the definition. In technical terms, when a spinal cord injury occurs, something called myelopathy occurs. This is the damage of the white matter or myelinated fibres tracks which have the role of carrying sensation and motor signals from the brain to the rest of the body. Spinal injury is also the damage of grey matter which is found in the central part of the brain. After the above definition, it is vital to look at some of the causes of spinal cord injury.

The first and most common cause is trauma. You may sustain trauma from car accidents, falls, diving accidents, gunshots, war injuries and the list goes on. Ailments like tumors will also cause injury to the spine. Examples of such tumors include the following. Meningiomas, ependymomas, astrocytomas, and metastatic cancer. Another cause of injury is developmental disorders such as Spina Bifida. There are so many other disorders that are developmental. It is pretty vital for the cause of injury to be known for proper management of the condition.

Once you have suffered the injury, there are effects that will come as a result. The effects will depend on the individual case. However, the injuries are categorized into 2 major parts which are complete and incomplete. People who suffer complete injuries will not have any function below the level of injury. This means that they will have no mobility whatsoever. An incomplete injury will not be as severe. The patient will have some movement below the level of injury. There are many cases of the injury reported every year. In the United States, roughly 450,000 people are living with the condition.

The first thing to do as an individual is to embrace safety. Most road accidents that cause the injuries are caused by neglect. When you are driving, it is paramount for you to take caution. Influence of drugs and alcohol while driving will cause death let alone injuries. Therefore, make sure you play your part. While undertaking other activities like diving, know that anything can happen. Prepare yourself with caution and keep safety first. With proper management of the condition, people affected will live full and profitable lives whether maimed or otherwise.

Currently, there is no cure for the spinal cord damage. However, after the injury has occurred, treatment will determine the outcome. Therefore, make sure that affected people are taken to special spinal injury hospitals for specialist care. This is extremely vital to treat all other injuries that might have occurred to other organs. Sometimes, people who are injured might have a short life span due to side conditions caused by the injury. There are so many charities which undertake good work in helping spinal cord injury cases all around the world. Play a part today and make a difference in peoples lives. The Internet will provide you with relevant information. Information on the condition will empower and leave you informed.

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Technorati Tags: Grey Matter, Metastatic Cancer, Spinal Cord

Spinal Cord Injuries and Taxi Service in New York

admin — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 12:48:40 +0000

Brad Davenport asked:

When you suffer from a spinal cord injury it doesn’t mean that you have to stay at home all the time or be dependent on someone else to take you where you need to go. Instead you can order an accessible taxi within the city to transport you,where ever you chose to go.

The Accessible Dispatch Program is a fairly new program that someone with a spinal cord injury NY can access through calling 311. The system seems to be working very well because there are certain taxis that are set up specifically to help people with disabilities get around and within the city of New York.

Just like any taxi service the calls come into a central dispatch center and you must let them know that you are disabled. This will help them route your call to one of the drivers who has an accessible cab and who can transport you very easily.

The United Spinal Association was chosen by the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, to provide training to drivers on how to secure a wheelchair properly and the proper etiquette to work with clients who have disabilities and spinal cord injuries.

The good thing is that you will not have to pay more for an accessible cab than you would for a traditional cab. Also, the Accessible Dispatch Program is only for those people who have disabilities. This means you will not have to worry about waiting too long for the cab to take you to your destination, especially if you want to go in or around the five boroughs.

This is a very good start for the program but there is still need for improvement. The Taxis For All Campaign is still lobbying for a mandated but gradual conversion of all yellow cabs to accessible rides for all disabled passengers.

It is important that you use these cabs if you have a back injury or back pain because the program is a two year pilot study. Usually in these types of studies they will look at whether the program was used or not and they will need significant data.

If people are not using the service, the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission will not see a need to continue the program especially for spinal injuries. This can be an excellent service for those people with spinal injuries who do not have another mode of transportation.

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Technorati Tags: Proper Etiquette, Spinal Cord, Spinal Cord Injury