Q: What are the most common results of a spinal cord injury?

A: Depending on the particular injury sustained, there are a wide variety of primary and secondary complications that can result from a spinal cord injury.

Damage to the nerve fibers that carry motor signals to the brain through severing or compression can lead to muscle paralysis and loss of sensations such as those experienced through touch or pressure. Other potential effects are loss of bladder control, muscle contractions, decreased breathing capacity, exaggerated reflexes, over or under sensitivity to temperature changes, lasting pain, impaired sexual functioning and issues with bowel control.

Some of the most common secondary effects are increased blood pressure, sweating, pressure sores and an increased susceptibility to respiratory ailments.

Typically any of these functions that are lost will be regained within six months, if they are to return at all. After that point your chances of recuperation decreases greatly. This is why it is so important to make sure you receive proper care immediately after sustaining a spinal cord injury.

Did you know that motor vehicle accidents are the number one cause of spinal cord injuries in kids? Not surprising, an estimated 70 percent of these injuries happened to children who were not wearing seat belts.

Even a small impact, such as a minor rear-ending, can cause potential spinal cord damage. Here are some of the symptoms to look for:

Flaccid extremties

Paralysis

Numbness or paresthesias (sensations such as tingling or burning)

Paresis or weakness

Priaprism

Incontinence of bowel or bladder

Injuries to the spinal cord are difficult to discover in children, so it’s necessary to closely monitor for these signs as well as indicators of pain or poor reflexes.

While we can’t always prevent an injury, we can work to limit the damage by acting quickly after an accident.

Don’t let your disability keep you inside this summer! This week’s tech report is on products that will make the beach comfortably accessible.

Beach wheelchairs are a great way to get out and about and enjoy the sunshine and they make accessing any sandy waterfront affordable and fun. The De-Bug by Achievable Concepts is a four wheeled, fixed frame all-terrain wheelchair. It is made with stainless steel tubing, has 21 by 11 inch front tires and 13 by 6 inch rear tires along with padded armrests and sling seating. The rear suspension articulates 20 degrees which allows all four wheels to maintain ground contact, creating stability, while the large front tires are said to make it easier to push.

Another all-terrain chair is the Landeez All-Terrain Wheelchair. This one can not only traverse the sand, but can also maneuver through water, snow or mud. Different in form from the De-Bug, the Landeez’s rear tires are large with a soft PVC plastic pneumatic design that absorbs road shocks. They are also made with stainless steel frames and have a 325 pound weight capacity.

These are just two examples of wheelchairs that provide access to nature’s attractions…we don’t advocate for any in particular as they all have a variety of different features and fits that will appeal to different people. Check them out and find one that fits you!

Here are a couple of sites to get you started on your wheelchair search:

Achievable Concepts

Landeez

Q: What was the inspiration for the Paralympics?

A: Originally the Paralympics were created as a rehabilitation program for British war veterans who had spinal injuries. In 1948 Sir Ludwig Guttman, a neurologist at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury, added sports to help his patients rehabilitate.

He set it up as a competition between his hospital and others, and held it during the London Olympics. This idea was adopted by hospital after hospital throughout Britain and in 1960, Guttman brought 400 of these athletes to Rome to compete during that year’s Olympics. It was then that the name “Paralympics” was coined.

By 1968 there were more than 1,000 athletes participating from 44 countries. Today the Paralympics host elite athletes from six different disability groups. Since the beginning, they have been held in the same year as the Olympics, and often in the same city. This year they will be held in Beijing, China and the Winter Paralympics for 2012 will be in Vancouver, Canada.

We mentioned last week the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act (H.R. 1727) and there was a bit of confusion. To clear things up, here is a direct description from the Christopher Reeve Foundation Website, should you wish to assist in passing this bill:

“In an attempt to move legislation before the August recess, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) introduced S. 3297, Advancing America’s Priorities Act, a legislative package which contains approximately three dozen bipartisan, non-controversial bills that have been passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, the respective Senate Committees and have been awaiting Senate action. The Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act (CDRPA), S.1183, has been included in this package which is expected to be debated in the Senate later this week.

NOW is the time to act to help pass legislation that will encourage multi-disciplinary consortia style research to enhance understanding and speed discovery of better treatments and cures; support rehabilitation research; and, build quality of life programs to promote independent living, self-sufficiency and equality of opportunity for individuals with paralysis and mobility impairments.

STATUS: The Senate is expected to debate S. 3297 later this week and into early next week. Your help is urgently needed to pass the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act.

ACTION: Contact both of your US Senators NOW and urge them to support Advancing America’s Priorities Act, S. 3297, which includes the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act, S.1183.

CALL: Click here to identify your federal legislators and find their contact information. The most effective way is to call or write them directly. If you know your Senators, call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 right now! Here is the message you should convey:

Please ask Senator _____________ to support Advancing America’s Priorities Act, S.3297, which includes the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act, S.1183. The Reeve Paralysis Act encourages collaborative research in paralysis, will hasten the discovery of treatments and potential cures and will improve the quality of life for millions of Americans living with paralysis. Please ask the Senator to vote for passage of S. 3297, Advancing America’s Priorities Act.

WRITE: A fax or an email from you is very impactful, but time is of the essence. For a sample letter click here.”

Finally, a benefit from those love handles, pot bellies and beer stomachs! Scientists found that fat taken from the inner thigh and lower abdomen was rich in stem cells. This study, reported in August’s Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery journal, is the first of its kind to pinpoint a variation between stem cell concentrations in different portions of the body’s fat stores.

We already know that stem cells have huge potential for repairing injuries, but we also know that there is a great deal of controversy surrounding the use of embryo stem cells, the ones with the most plasticity. With the discovery of a plentiful source of adult stem cells, there is an increased potential for studying how these valuable resources can be applied to healing spine injuries, repairing bones, eradicating diseases such as cancer…all without the censor of those against embryonic stem cell research.

Of course, this journal is more concerned with the ways in which these cells can be used to benefit the plastic surgery industry. They would like to find ways to erase wrinkles and generate new tissue for their procedures, and who are we to argue? If the search for eternal youth unearths valuable resources that will help those who are trying to recover from a spinal cord injury, then we are all for it!

Scientists are exploring the ways in which your body’s sugars can be used to “create stem cell treatments for heart disease and nerve damage” according to a recent University of Manchester study.

As those with a spinal cord injury know well, nerve damage is hard if not impossible to completely recover from. This avenue of exploration may come up with some beneficial applications, making it easier for the body to repair that damage.

The sugars that our bodies produce instruct cells on “who” and what they are - what their function is in relation to the cells around them. Dr. Catherine Merry from The School of Materials in Manchester has been given a grant to figure out how cells make sugar and how that sugar influences cell behavior.

If Merry can determine how to make certain cells produce specific sugars, she can then train them to mend nerve damage along with other helpful applications. Keep an eye out for more research from the Materials Science Centre at the University of Manchester. With a major laboratory upgrade, this center is prepared to lead the way in cutting edge research covering everything from stem cells to molecular biology.

Physical activity can benefit paralysis…truly! With a combination of electrical stimulation, breathing exercises and aquatherapy, Christopher Reeve was able to regain a degree of motion.

The doctor who treated him, Dr. John McDonald, believes that the increased control Reeve gained over his limbs was due to dormant nerves being awakened with exercise. Said McDonald, “Although we cannon conclude that the activity-based recovery program produced the functional benefits, we believe it was responsible for the physical benefits.”

The fact is, exercise benefits so much more than just your physical health - it is great for your mental wellbeing. While you may not enjoy exercise, either now or before you sustained the paralyzing injury, the multitude of positive results are worth the effort. Exercise increases your cardiovascular health, your bone density and muscle tone.

Our fact for this week is that exercise does a body good… pass it on!

The Christopher & Dana Reeve Paralysis Act, S.3297 (CDRPA) has passed the House and is now awaiting the Senate vote. The Christopher Reeve Foundation is asking for your help in passing this important package.

According to the foundation’s Website, the CDRPA “has three components that support and enhance paralysis research, rehabilitation an quality of life programs.”

In detail:

“Title I. Paralysis Research
The bill expands research on paralysis at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by establishing the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Consortia. This style of research promotes collaboration - connecting scientists doing similar work in multiple fields to enrich understanding and speed discovery of better treatments and cures.

Title II. Paralysis Rehabilitation and Care
The bill calls for rehabilitation research to advance daily function for people with paralysis including intensive, activity-based research to measure the effectiveness of certain rehabilitative tactics that aim to improve mobility, prevent secondary complications, and develop improved assistive technology.

Title III. Improving Quality of Life for Persons with Paralysis and Other Physical Disabilities
The bill will develop unique programs at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) to better the quality of life and long-term health status of persons with paralysis and other physical disabilities. Programs include providing grants to non-profit health and disability organizations to educate the public about paralysis, improve access to services, and integrate life with paralysis into society, as well as coordinate services within each state to assist persons living with paralysis.”

For more information on how you can help support this bill, visit the Christopher Reeve Foundation’s Website.