What Are Traumatic Injuries of the Spinal Cord?
A traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is damage to the spinal cord, the tube of nerves that connect the brain with the whole body, resulting from a sudden or violent blow. The spinal cord travels from the brain to the lower back. It transmits signals from the brain to the body. These nerve signals help people feel sensations, move, and breathe. Damage to this column nerve bundle can significantly impair any of these functions. However, home care agencies in NY can help with the bathing, grooming, dressing, feeding, and bladder and bowel management needs of SCI patients.
Spinal Cord Injuries on the Rise
About 17,730 new SCIs are annually reported in the U.S. (Source: Veteran Affairs). Approximately 1,100 New Yorkers suffer an SCI yearly (Source: New York State Department of Health). Given its rising incidence, traumatic SCIs are becoming an increasing focus of home care agencies in NY.
Older New Yorkers are at particular risk, with nearly 11.5% of these injuries occurring in people over 60 years old (Source: National Institutes of Health). In the U.S. as a whole, 332,000 people are living with an SCI (Source: National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center).
What Causes Traumatic SCI?
A traumatic SCI is the result of damage to the vertebrae (bones around the spinal cord) or disks of the spinal column. It can be the product of injury to the spinal cord itself.
Traumatic SCIs originate from a sudden and direct blow to the spine (trauma) that crushes or compresses vertebrae. Motor vehicle accidents stand as the single most frequent cause of SCI in Americans younger than 65 years of age.
Causes of traumatic SCI can include:
· Automobile and motorcycle crashes, which account for nearly half of new traumatic SCIs each year (Source: Mayo Clinic)
· Bicycle accidents
· Slips and falls
· Violent injuries, including wounds from gunshots or stabbings
· Impact sports, such as football
· Water-related activities, especially diving in shallow water
· Industrial accidents
· Medical or surgical complications
· Falling objects
· Work-related injuries.
Symptoms of Traumatic SCI
Traumatic SCIs often cause permanent loss of strength, sensation, and function below the site where the injury was sustained. Paralysis involves loss of feeling and control of movement. Furthermore, depending on the location and degree of injury, loss of feeling and movement ability can either be partial or complete (total).
A traumatic SCI can cause the following symptoms to occur:
· Loss of muscle movement
· Difficulty walking
· Loss of or changes in sensation (e.g., the ability to feel heat, cold, or touch)
· Breathing problems
· Bladder or bowel control problems
· Unnatural position of the head or spine
· Lack of alertness
· Abnormal sweating
· Difficulty regulating body temperature
· Sexual dysfunction.
Home Care for Traumatic SCI
Caregivers are trained to meet the complex needs of traumatic SCI patients. They provide critical assistance with everyday tasks like dressing, eating, toileting, and changing positions and mobility. Home care allows patients to keep their independence in a comfortable environment. Home care agencies in NY can benefit SCI patients in several important ways:
Personal Care and Hygiene
A traumatic SCI can adversely impact one’s ability to perform daily hygiene tasks. Caregivers can ensure regular bathing to maintain their clients’ personal cleanliness. They can also help clients put on clothes and adjust them as necessary, which is particularly useful for patients with severely limited mobility or paralysis.
Mobility Support
Patients with traumatic SCI will often need mobility assistance to improve muscle function. Caregivers can assist clients who have difficulty moving in their own shift positions, such as shifting in bed or transferring to a wheelchair. Proper posture will also prevent bedsores and pressure ulcers, which are routinely associated with extended immobilization periods.
Nutrition and Feeding
Good nutrition is intrinsic to recovery because it helps patients maintain muscle mass. Support can involve preparing healthy meals or direct feeding; SCI patients who have trouble with chewing or swallowing can especially benefit from direct feeding. Caregivers can also help ensure that their clients maintain a proper water intake, as dehydration can contribute to further SCI complications.
In Closing
The rate of traumatic SCI is increasing nationally, making it a top concern for home care agencies in NY. Traumatic SCIs can substantially disrupt patients’ quality of life due to the limitations they produce in daily activities. However, caregivers can drastically improve patients’ quality of life by enhancing independence and comfort in a familiar surrounding.
