How Can an SCI Patient Manage It With Physiotherapy?
SCI is Spinal Cord Injury. Yes, it is a traumatic or non-traumatic event that damages the motor, sensory, and respiratory functions. Other bodily functions that are affected by SCI are bladder, bowel, and sexual functions and the patient’s blood pressure, body temperature, and skin integrity. So the impact is on the individual’s emotional and physical well-being, their families, and communities.
SCI often results in paraplegia or tetraplegia. Paraplegia means the loss in motor and sensory functions of the trunk and lower limbs, while tetraplegia means the loss in motor and sensory functions of the trunk, lower limbs, and the upper limbs.
There are 3 phases in the management of patients with SCI:
Acute
Sub-acute (rehabilitation), and
Chronic (long term).
The acute and sub-acute treatment phases focus their strategies more on preventing complications, while the chronic phase uses assistive and compensatory approaches.
The acute rehabilitation management of SCI patients depends on the level and type of spinal cord injury. Most commonly, they are treated in an SCI-focused specialized facility, a hospital, and a rehabilitation centre such as the Mission Walk Therapy and Rehabilitation Centre in Hyderabad.
Managing SCI is a complex and lifelong process, and it requires a multidisciplinary approach to allow the patient to live a life as full and independent as possible. Physiotherapy is a key component of the rehabilitation process following spinal cord injury and includes various interventions that address body functions such as circulation and respiratory functions. Hyderabad physiotherapy also minimises the impact of immobilisation on the patient, like contracture development and pressure ulcer.
The health and social care professionals that work in the management of spinal cord injury are composed of physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, neuro physiotherapists, rehabilitation nurses, psychologists, social workers, and some others. The team typically works under the coordination of a Physiatrist (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physician).
A physiotherapist has an integral part in the patient’s recovery after a life-changing spinal cord injury. Throughout much of the SCI rehabilitation, they will be there, helping and guiding the patient to achieve optimal gains during the process. They will tailor your rehabilitative treatment based on the level of injury, its severity, and your goals. They will do their best, initially, to get to know you, treat you respectfully, motivate you, and keep you informed so you can make better decisions for your quick recovery.
Many times, SCI patients opt for home physiotherapy services. The good news is that Mission Walk can offer to send a physiotherapy professional to your home so that the individual will no longer have to commute and fight crowds and heavy traffic. If it feels that this option would be better for the patient, we can discuss it.
A home physiotherapist can visit the individual at home and assess the surroundings. They will take note of factors that are not working in your favour as an SCI patient. Then they will make easy and quick suggestions, which, as soon as followed, will make all the difference in your recovery.
Whatever is available to you at home, the physiotherapist can use those and teach and guide you to do the exercises in your environment. Our physiotherapists are efficient and experienced, and they can work wonders with the environment you have, including furniture, to make your program effective for your recovery.
Spinal cord injuries are traumatic events that can change how you and your family live. Treatment and rehabilitation are stressful and demand costly care. This can have a significant impact on your health and social relationships, finances and lifestyle.
Mission Walk is a rehabilitation and therapy centre located in Hyderabad. Our centre has an in-patient facility, and we support all neurorehabilitation. We can help SCI patients get back to their former lives before the injury with our rehabilitation programs. Remember, we are the in-home physiotherapy experts, and we provide convenient care delivered to you by our experienced physiotherapists.
Please call us at 91 91773 00194 if you wish to make a consultation or you want to undergo rehabilitation with us. You can also email us at rehab@missionwalk.in and tell us about your concerns. We will be happy to be of help to you and we are sure that you’ll definitely love our service.
