Autonomic Dysreflexia (or hyperreflexia) is a dangerous condition that can occur with bed sore patients or patients with spinal cord injuries above the middle of the chest (usually above T-5). Autonomic dysreflexia occurs when an irritation or pain (frequently caused by bed sores) below the level of the spinal cord injury sends a signal that fails to reach the brain. Continue Reading »

Experts all agree that it is far easier to prevent bed sore than to treat them. However, easier does not necessarily mean easy. With the appropriate measures, patients and medical staff can significantly reduce the risk of developing pressure ulcers.

The Mayo Clinic, USA, recommends that patients and medical staff develop a plan that all can follow; this must include position changes, supportive devices, routine skin inspections and good diet. Continue Reading »

Treating pressure ulcers is not easy. If it is an open wound it most likely will not heal rapidly; even when healing does take place it may be patchy because the skin and other tissues have already been damaged. A multidisciplinary approach is required to deal with the many aspects of wound care. According to the National Health Service (NHS), UK, the MDT (multidisciplinary team) may consist of: Continue Reading »

A symptom is something the patient feels and reports, while a sign is something other people, such as the doctor detect. For example, pain may be a symptom while a rash may be a sign.

Parts of the body that are not covered by a high level of body fat and flesh (muscle) and are in direct contact with a supporting surface, such as a bed or wheelchair have the highest risk of developing pressure ulcers. Bedbound patients are most at risk of developing bed sores on their: Continue Reading »

Bed sores, also known as pressure ulcers, pressure sores or decubitus ulcers are skin lesions which can be caused by friction, humidity, temperature, continence, medication, shearing forces, age and unrelieved pressure. Any part of the body may be affected; bony or cartilaginous areas, such as the elbows, knees, ankles and sacrum are most commonly affected. The sacrum is a triangular bone at the base of the spine and the upper and back part of the pelvic cavity (like a wedge between the two hip bones). Continue Reading »

Garrett Riggs, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla., talks about whether retraining neurons can benefit patients with spinal cord injuries.

Garrett Riggs, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla., talks about whether retraining neurons can benefit patients with spinal cord injuries. Continue Reading »

Cervical myelopathy is a disorder most commonly seen in the elderly population due to spondylosis with resultant cord compression.1 There are many causes of myelopathy that include trauma, tumors, infection, vascular disease, degenerative conditions and demyelinating disorders.9 Myelopathy can be seen in younger patients when central disc herniations compress the spinal cord.1 Most typically, however, there are osteophytic changes and ligament thickening makes the canal stenotic. Patients will most typically present with weakness and clumsiness of the hands, paresthesias in the hand and gait disturbances. Continue Reading »

Physiotherapy, also known as physical therapy, is a health related field that strives to enable individuals who were physically injured or whose bodies have degenerated due to aging or disease to function as much as they can without assistance. This often involves an interaction with the medical practitioner and patient that incorporates physical therapy equipment or training exercises for muscles that may have been harmed for a number of medical reasons. Continue Reading »

The ASIA impairment scale describes a person’s functional impairment as a result of their spinal cord injury. Continue Reading »

This may seem to be silly question but, until people get spinal cord injury or know somebody who is, most pay little attention to their spinal cords. Most people don’t know the different parts of the spinal cord, what each part does, and how the spinal cord transmits sensory and motor information. Many think that the spinal cord conducts information like a telephone wire and the spinal cord can be fixed by reconnecting it. Some people mistakenly believe that the spinal cord is the vertebral column. While almost everybody knows that spinal cord injury causes paralysis, many are not aware that the spinal cord also controls the bladder and bowel, sexual function, blood pressure, skin blood flow, sweating, and temperature regulation. Continue Reading »