SCI 4 DUMMIES

If you do not have a spinal cord injury [SCI] yourself, you may believe that the consequence of it is limited to living in a wheelchair and not being able to walk. It is MUCH MORE THAN THAT for most of us. PLEASE READ THIS and you will understand a few things !

What is Spinal Cord Injury ?

Anatomically, the nervous system is divided into two main sections: the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS).
A spinal cord injury is a damage brought to the CNS. The consequences depend on the level of the injury and on its severity. It will, in some cases, when the injury is considered as 'incomplete' still allow some partial or even total recovery. For those whose injury is said 'complete' though, they are traditionally believed to have no chance of recovery at all, although, with the progress of research over the past years, there is shift in our consciousness about what is possible after injury.

What are the consequences of Spinal Cord Injury you might not be aware of ?

Because of the damage of the CNS, messages cannot be brought anymore to the various organs and part of the body below the level of injury.

For paraplegic people, it leads to the inability to move their legs but also to the absence of sensation under their injury. That results into, for a complete injury at least, the total absence of control of various organs and into bowels, bladder and sexual problems. Further more, many patient also experience frequent if not permanent neurological pain which is again due to nerve damage in their back , not to mention possible spasms or accrued tiredness. This is not to mention accrued risks of infection and pressure sore.

For tetraplegic people, on top of all the above, the situation is much more dramatic since all their 4 limbs are impaired. The consequence then depends on the height and severity of the injury. It will range from difficulty to total unability to use arms and hands. Sometimes, in case of a very high injury, even breathing function has to be supported.

Conclusion : If you see some pain or stress on the face of a person in a wheelchair, there might be some good reasons for that. It will most of the time not be because he/she cannot walk. Although no 2 cases are comparable. Every patient is different...