A spinal cord injury (SCI) is a life-changing event that can have a profound impact on an individual’s physical and emotional well-being. It is a damage done to the spinal cord which plays the crucial role of carrying signals to the brain. A spinal cord injury, therefore, medically can be defined as a traumatic or non-traumatic injury to the neural network or the bone structure that leads to a disruption in the nervous system.
SCI can cause a significant damage to the body’s movement, bowel functioning and cognitive functions. It can also result in paralysis or numbness in different regions of the body such as arms, legs and thighs.
The most common causes of SCI are:
1. Road accidents
2. Sports injuries
3. Falling from a significant height
4. Electrical accidents
5. Diving into water that’s too shallow and hitting the bottom
6. Domestic violence or an attack such as stabbing or gunshot wounds
Following are the symptoms of SCI:
1. Headache
2. Unconsciousness
3. Troubles while walking
4. Loss of control of the bladder or bowel
5. Inability to move your hands or legs
6. Feeling numbness or tingling
7. Pain, pressure and stiffness in the back or neck area
8. Unnatural position of the head
The damages done by a spinal cord injury may seem incurable, however, with the right approach and dedicated care at Rewalk Robotics there is hope for recovery and improved quality of life. Spinal cord physiotherapy plays a vital role in the rehabilitation process as it helps patients regain function and independence. So far we are aware that SCI can lead to loss of motor and sensory functions. But the severity and location of the injury has to be determined with the help of CT scans, MRIs or X-rays.
Rewalk Robotics is a leading physiotherapy centre in Ahmedabad with state-of-the-art facilities, machines and highly-skilled team of doctors to assist you with reliable physiotherapy for spinal cord pain. Our team is headed by Dr Viral Shah and Dr Purvish Patel. They have over 20+ years of experience and are well-versed in the field to deliver to you promising results. Upon consultation and diagnosis, we will give you the best physiotherapy for spinal cord injury and ensure you are pain-free within a few sessions!
Once you visit our physiotherapy centre, our spinal cord injury physio will walk you through the exercises and the treatment plan. This will help you understand the areas of concerns and how step-by-step we will cure them.
We have mentioned a few steps of the procedure to help you gain a better understanding of the recovery process:
1. Assessment: As mentioned earlier, we will first conduct a thorough assessment. We will then evaluate the extent of the injury, muscle strength, sensory function and joint range of motion. Based on the assessment we will devise personalised rehabilitation plans.
2. Strengthening and Mobility: Our physiotherapists will focus on exercises that helps in restoring muscle strength and also improve joint mobility. We will use specialised techniques, such as functional electrical stimulation (FES) to help regain movement.
3. Gait Management: Under our SCI rehabilitation programme, we train patients to walk again. We assist with exercises that help to walk, stand and improve balance. At Rewalk Robotics we use devices like wheelchairs, walkers or crutches whenever needed.
4. Pain Management: SCI can cause chronic pain which can be challenge to manage. Thus, we use techniques such as manual therapy, hot and cold compress and therapeutic exercises to alleviate pain and discomfort.
5. Respiratory Care: SCI may also complicate breathing and lung functions. Thus, in our plan we also include breathing exercises and chest physiotherapy.
6. Bowel and Bladder Management: Through stretching and pelvic floor exercises we enable our patients to efficiently manage their bowel and bladder functions. We also guide on catheterisation techniques.
7. Support: We extend 24/7 psychological support for all our patients. Our team will also guide you with adaptive techniques that can help you to adjust to the daily living without complications.