This Week’s Q&A
Q: What can you do immediately after an accident to minimize the long-term effects from a spinal cord injury (SCI)?
A: While there is still no way to completely reverse the damage done by a SCI, there are certain steps you can take to prevent further damage and to minimize the long-term effects.
After someone is discharged from the treatment facility, medical staff will focus on treating the initial injury, making sure it doesn’t develop into a worsening condition. Medications, immobilization and surgery will address the initial issues that arise from the accident, be it paraplegia or quadriplegia.
Once the patient is on his or her own, it becomes important to focus on the issues that can develop from being immobilized. Muscles will need to be stretched and maintained, bedsores watched for and treated and the urinary tract will have to be closely monitored to prevent infections. Paying attention to these aspects of care early on will help to prevent them from creating irreversible damage.
Rehabilitation therapy will be structured around the particular injuries each patient has suffered, and will attempt to help with the family and patient’s adjustment to their new situation. Sticking with the suggested program, exercises and all, is very important to the patient’s overall chance of recovery and regaining any degree of functioning.
During the difficult period after an injury is sustained, it is typically hard for people to maintain a positive and gung-ho attitude, but that the best chance to regain the ability to participate actively in life is to dive right into their rehabilitation program can’t be stressed enough.
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