Spinal Injury Rehab

Questions

• WHAT IS SPINAL INJURY REHABILITATION?

  A traumatic or non-traumatic incident that results in neurological damage affecting respiratory, motor, sensory, bladder, bowel, and sexual function is known as a spinal cord injury (SCI). The person's capacity to control their body temperature, blood pressure, and skin integrity are all impacted by neurological disruption. Physiotherapy is one of the many different ways used in rehabilitation to restore or enhance a patient's capabilities. Rehabilitation is the basic process of recovery. After a spinal cord injury, recovery is typically a difficult and drawn-out process. The degree of the spinal cord damage and whether it is considered full or partial determine how long the recovery will take.

• WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF SPINAL CORD INJURIES?

  Complete Spinal Cord Injuries
  When the spinal cord is damaged, the most catastrophic kind of injury takes place. The brain's capacity to convey impulses below the site of lesion is destroyed by this injury. When the lumbar spinal cord is injured, motor capabilities in the arms and upper body are preserved, but paralysis below the waist may result. Loss of upper and lower body motor function may result after a complete cervical spine injury.

  Incomplete Spinal Cord Injuries
  If the spinal cord is compressed or otherwise damaged, the brain's capacity to transmit signals below the site of injury may be compromised, leading to an incomplete spinal injury. Individual differences may exist in the symptoms due to incomplete damage. In certain cases, certain motor and sensory abilities may be significantly impaired, while in others they may be completely lost.

• WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE TREATMENT?

  The main aim of Spinal Injury treatment is:
  To focus on maximizing the recovery of an individual’s motor and sensory function.
  Help prevent secondary health issues and complications related to the individual injury.
  To enhance motor functional activities with early intervention and management to prevent further complications
  To improve an individual’s independence in activities of daily living, such as eating, bathing, grooming, dressing, and mobility.
  To work towards a stage where the individual can live as fully as possible.

• HOW DOES IT WORK?

  The degree and kind of spinal cord damage determines how a patient will be treated throughout rehabilitation. Patients frequently need to start their recovery journey in an intensive care unit during the acute phase of their illness. Eight to twenty-four weeks of inpatient care may be followed by three to twelve months of follow-up outpatient therapy, often with yearly medical and functional evaluations in between. The physiotherapist uses the five phases to determine goals with the patient and create a discharge plan suitable for the patient's degree of damage.

  The five key steps are:
  Assessment of the patient to check his impairments and activity limitations.
  Set goals.
  Identifying the key impairments that limit the achievement of goals.
  Design a physiotherapy treatment plan including pain management, motor skill development, strengthening, joint mobility, cardiovascular fitness, and respiratory functioning.
  Measurement of the outcome of treatments.
  The management can be divided into 3 Phases:
  Acute,
  Sub-acute (Rehabilitation), and
  Chronic (Long Term).

  Rehabilitation techniques are more concentrated on preventing subsequent consequences, treating underlying impairments, encouraging neuro healing, and optimizing function throughout the acute and subacute stages of therapy. During the chronic phase, compensatory or assistive strategies are frequently employed.

• WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF PHYSIOTHERAPY IN SPINAL CORD INJURY REHAB?

  One of the key roles of the physiotherapist is to help someone recover from a spinal cord injury. The benefits of physiotherapy are:

  Pain Control: A physiotherapist works to strengthen the surrounding muscles, increase mobility, and lessen or eliminate pain following surgery or an accident. suggests rest, which can assist with pain alleviation, but active rehabilitation is usually preferable.

  Movement awareness: Strength, mobility, and general well-being are all enhanced by movement awareness. teaches the value of posture awareness and how to lessen the strain on the back whether sitting or standing, which improves movement awareness.

  Increase functional Strength: When feeling and strength in certain bodily areas are gone. A physiotherapist might suggest activities to improve regions that are weak.

  Balance and coordination: While therapy might aid in relearning and adjusting, spinal injuries can occasionally impair these abilities. It's crucial for athletes who wish to regain their pre-injury level of fitness, but it's especially crucial for older people who could be more vulnerable to falls following surgery.

  Cardiovascular Strength: After a spinal injury, aerobic exercise helps maintain excellent circulation and cardiovascular health, which in turn helps keep the heart healthy. They might help with making modifications to the house or selecting the best course of action to maintain heart health through aerobic workout regimens that facilitate faster healing.

  Strengthening of the respiratory muscles: Assists with breathing difficulties that arise from injuries to the thoracic and cervical regions of the spine. The patient learns how to breathe again and gains strength in their respiratory muscles from the therapist.

  Enhance Mobility: Assisting the patient in moving more freely, building their muscles, or teaching them how to use a wheelchair, walking frame, or crutches are all strategies to help them become more mobile. Additionally aids in delaying the formation of scar tissue, which may restrict movement and improve flexibility in a healing region.

• WHAT PHYSIOTHERAPY INTERVENTIONS ARE USED FOR THE TREATMENT?

  The cornerstone of spinal cord injury recovery is physiotherapy. It emphasizes using electrical modalities and exercises to increase mobility. Using the following treatments and exercises, a physiotherapist assesses the patient's functional skills and develops a customized training program to increase range of motion, enhance movement patterns, and strengthen the muscles:

  Thermotherapy.
  TENS.
  Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES).
  Acupuncture.
  Breathing exercises.
  Massage therapy.
  Strengthening exercises.
  Stretching exercises, etc.

• WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM SPINAL INJURY REHABILITATION?

  The goal of spinal rehabilitation is to help patients regain control over their bodily functions by using a variety of exercises, strategies, and treatments. Spinal rehabilitation can help a patient with the following ailments.

  Spinal cord injury, traumatic and non-traumatic.
  Central nervous system or Neuromuscular disorders.
  The disease process of the spinal cord.
  Dual diagnosis of spinal cord and brain injury.
  Post Spinal surgery.