Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal cord injury means injury of nervous tissue inside spine due to trauma or any other reasons associated thereto. Traffic accidents, job accidents, fall, tumors and firearm injuries may be listed among the basic causes of it.

Spinal cord inside the spine establishes communication between brain on one side and arms, legs and body on the other side. Thus, we may move our arms and legs and feel such senses as hot and cold. A spinal cord injury leads to loss of motion (paralysis) and sensory losses in different parts of body and to neurogenic bladder, bowel and sexual dysfunctions. Functional losses and disorders of patient vary depending on the level and severity of injury. Therefore, problem of each patient is different from the others.

Rehabilitation exercises and works should be restarted as soon as the patient medically recovers after injury. The patient’s physical recovery level and duration depend upon the severity of injury.

Rehabilitation Program:

Depending on level of sickness, body control, sitting balance, kneeling and standing up trainings are given. Through neurogenic bladder and bowel rehabilitation, a socially acceptable and non-infectious urine and bowel evacuation regime is re-established. Exercises are done so as to enable the patient to take care of himself/herself and to regain motility at the highest level possible. Through social life orientation exercises, the patient is returned to family and social lives at the highest level possible.

 Patient-oriented therapy approach;

 Education of patient and his/her family members about the disease;

 Skincare, positioning and prevention of pressure sore (decutibus ulcer);

 Pulmonary rehabilitation;

 Contracture prevention program;

 Spasticity prevention and management approach;

 Deep venous thrombosis follow-up and prevention program;

 Neurogenic bladder management and treatment;

 Neurogenic bowel management and treatment;

 Appropriate nutritional program;

 Muscular strengthening program;

 Standing up exercises and sitting up exercies;

 Walking program; exercises by means of parallel bar and/or POOL and LOKOMAT device;

 Exercises for activities of daily living through occupational therapy (ergotherapy) and teaching of transfer (transfer from wheelchair to various different locations).

 Clinical pilates;

In the rehabilitation process, in addition to physiotherapy, therapy methods such as robotic therapy and pool therapy are also effective methods making a positive contribution to the recovery process.