How would a spinal cord injury affect your life?

How would a spinal cord injury affect your life?

You May Experience Mental Health Issues The challenges of life with a spinal cord injury can lead to depression and anxiety. Changes in your body may exacerbate these issues. For instance, some medications may change the way your brain processes certain neurotransmitters, making you more vulnerable to mental illness.

What are some of the effects of a spinal cord injury?

These are the most common symptoms of acute spinal cord injuries:

• Muscle weakness.
• Loss of voluntary muscle movement in the chest, arms, or legs.
• Breathing problems.
• Loss of feeling in the chest, arms, or legs.
• Loss of bowel and bladder function.

How would a traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury affect your life?

Acquired brain injury (ABI) can affect people in different ways and you may experience increased fatigue (mental and physical), and or changes in physical and cognitive functions,behaviour, personality and sensory functions. A severe spinal cord injury can result inparaplegia or quadriplegia.

How long does a spinal cord injury take to heal?

Recovery, if it occurs, typically starts a week to six months after an injury. The fastest rate of recovery is often seen in the first six months, but some people experience small improvements for up to one to two years.

Is it possible to fully recover from spinal cord injury?

People with spinal cord injuries may experience a loss of function around the body. This loss of function can be permanent. However, some people do make a full recovery. Spinal cord injuries can cause secondary conditions, such as pressure sores and blood clots.

Can you walk after a spinal cord injury?

Depending on the severity of a spinal cord injury, patients may find themselves unable to walk. In situations like these, patients work with a variety of medical professionals to regain the ability to walk, so they can return to as much normal bodily function as possible.

What happens to your limbs after a spinal cord injury?

• Spinal cord injuries Your ability to control your limbs after a spinal cord injury depends on two factors: the place of the injury along your spinal cord and the severity of injury to the spinal cord. The lowest normal part of your spinal cord is referred to as the neurological level of your injury.

Who is more likely to get a spinal cord injury?

• The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center at the University of Alabama-Birmingham conducts annual spinal cord injury research, including an assortment of statistics on SCI injuries. It's interesting to note that, in almost all categories of injuries, men are more likely to be injured than women.

How to adjust to a spinal cord injury?

• Adjusting to a spinal cord injury or disability is a life-long process. When you are first injured, adjustment focuses on dealing with the loss and learning all about the injury. As you accept, learn, and master the new skills, you can incorporate them into daily life.

What are the emotional issues of spinal cord injury?

• In the beginning, this may involve: Learning what it means to be a spinal cord injury patient. Dealing with ever-changing emotional reactions. Doubting that you will become a productive person. Questioning if life is worth it any longer. Losing independence.