Spinal cord injury (SCI) is damage to the spinal cord that results in a loss of function such as mobility or feeling. Frequent causes of damage are trauma (car accident, falls, diving etc.) or disease (polio, spina bifida, Friedreich’s Ataxia etc.)2. SCI are categorised into two groups: Quadriplegia (sensation lost from the neck down) and paraplegia (sensation lost from the waist down).
Many of us know Christopher Reeve1 as the talented actor who played Superman, who was made a quadriplegic after a horrific horse riding accident. Reeve spent 6 months doing intensive rehab at the Kessler Rehabilitation Institute in New Jersey. Passionate about his recovery, Reeve helped establish Locomotive Training, a support apparatus suspended above a treadmill, for walking training. In Australia, we have “Walk On” – a rehabilitation program targeting at getting people who suffered from a spinal cord injury up and out of their wheelchair. In Brisbane, such a program is held at Sporting Wheelies, at Bowen Hills. Call 1800 819 775 for more information. Another useful resource organisation is the Spinal Injuries Association which is a Queensland based organisation. It seeks awareness about SCI and provides much needed support to members of the community who have suffered from a SCI. Visit their website at: http://www.spinal.com.au/about/contact/
The staff here at My Rehab Team can assist a personal with a SCI, by providing physiotherapy for mobility rehabilitation, occupational therapy for lifestyle adjustments, dietetics input, and much more. Contact My Rehab Team today to discuss any concerns or queries you may have about spinal cord injuries: 1300 4 MY REHAB (1300 469 734)
By Mili (edited by Jo)
1christopherreeve.org
2 scia.org.au
Image courtesy of cooldesign, at Free Digital Photo. [Online] Available at: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/human-spinal-column-photo-p230000 (Accessed on 14th December, 2014)
