Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation

Spinal cord injury rehabilitation can be so challenging that being able to make the right choice is the first step. For patients, it is of great importance to choose a suitable place to undertake a personalized rehabilitation plan with a deeply experienced team, such as what you can find at Beijing United Family Rehabilitation Hospital. Choosing us can make all the difference in the world.

Symptoms

Spinal cord injuries of any kind may result in one or more of the following signs and symptoms:

• Loss of movement
• Loss of sensation, including the ability to feel heat, cold and touch
• Loss of bowel or bladder control
• Exaggerated reflex activities or spasms
• Changes in sexual function, sexual sensitivity and fertility
• Pain or an intense stinging sensation caused by damage to the nerve fibers in your spinal cord
• Difficulty breathing, coughing or clearing secretions from your lungs

Common causes

The most common causes of spinal cord injuries are:

• Motor vehicle accidents. Auto and motorcycle accidents are the leading cause of spinal cord injuries, accounting for more than 40 percent of new spinal cord injuries in the United States each year.
• Falls. Spinal cord injury after age 65 is most often caused by a fall. Overall, falls cause more than one-quarter of spinal cord injuries.
• Acts of violence. As many as 15 percent of spinal cord injuries result from violent encounters, often involving gunshot and knife wounds, according to the US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
• Sports and recreation injuries. Athletic activities, such as impact sports and diving in shallow water, cause about 8 percent of spinal cord injuries.
• Alcohol. Alcohol use is a factor in about 1 out of every 4 spinal cord injuries in the US.
• Diseases. Cancer, arthritis, osteoporosis and inflammation of the spinal cord also can cause spinal cord injuries.

Treatments and rehabilitation

Unfortunately, there’s no way to reverse damage to the spinal cord. But, researchers are continually working on new treatments, including prostheses and medications that may promote nerve cell regeneration or improve the function of the nerves that remain after a spinal cord injury.

In the meantime, spinal cord injury treatment focuses on preventing further injury and empowering people with a spinal cord injury to return to an active and productive life.