A Practical Guide To Health Promotion After Spinal Cord Injury

A clearly identified but largely unmet need after spinal cord injury i s health and fitness promotion. This book integrates multifaceted heal th-oriented principles and practices into the rehabilitation of those with spinal cord injury and serves as a resource in both rehabilitatio n facilities and in community-based settings. Tables, figures, illustr ations, and educational handouts complement the text. Carefully design ed patient handouts save you time creating self-care, take-home materi als and boost compliance.

Combining clinical experience with patients’ own stories, the authors cover the causes of and prognosis for SCI through case studies, review common courses of rehabilitation, and answer the “what now?” questions—from daily routines to larger issues concerning sex, education and employment, childbearing, and parenting with SCI.

This revised edition offers a multidimensional approach to working with spinal cord-injured individuals in acute care, rehabilitation, and community settings.

​This book, structured as a collection of questions and answers commonly encountered in the care of individuals with spinal cord injuries, aims to facilitate easy access to clinical and practical information for those involved in their treatment. The author, known for their expertise in spinal cord injuries, has developed this book to offer concise knowledge specifically tailored for clinicians and related healthcare professionals engaged in the care of spinal cord injuries. Unlike his previous works, this book goes beyond the traditional format and incorporates more concise and clinically-oriented questions and answers. Drawing from the author's practical experience and his role in training resident physicians in spinal cord medicine at the University Hospital, the content of this book addresses practical and clinical considerations. To enhance clinical understanding, the book extensively employs figures and tables throughout its comprehensive coverage of various aspects of spinal cord medicine. The author aspires for this book to serve as a valuable clinical companion, providing supplemental practical guidance for daily practice in the field of spinal cord injuries.

This book describes validated outcome measures for the international Spinal Cord Injury population. Based on rigorous systematic reviews of ca. 80,000 scientific articles, the authors present assessment tools for various clinical uses in the health sciences, following parameters of validity, reliability, and responsiveness. It is important for the development of clinical practice and research that practical and appropriate measures become universally accepted; this would allow comparisons and meta- analysis of high-quality randomized controlled trials of people with this increasingly common injury. This book emphasizes the need for consensus among researchers as to which tools must be studied in depth or adapted to other national contexts, or which measurement instruments should be standardized in order to develop universal norms and standards for the performance of people with Spinal Cord Injury. It offers a valuable practical guide for clinicians, rehabilitation professionals and nurses, but will also help researchers to gain more confidence in using valid and reliable assessment tools for comparable clinical trials.

The definitive guide for dealing with the major challenges those with spinal cord injuries face Medical advances have made it possible for those with spinal cord injuries to live an essentially normal life span' and to lead full' meaningful and productive lives. Inevitably' however' spinal injury superimposes special considerations on the routine activities and passages of life' and activities that might once have been easy can in many cases become increasingly difficult. This book identifies medical and nonmedical problems that individuals with SCI face as they get older' while providing practical advice on how to tackle these challenges. Includes information on health finances social support system the effects of aging.

About 40% of all people with spinal cord injuries are now over the age of forty-five, and 25% have had their injury for twenty years or more. We now live at a time when medical advances have made it possible for those with spinal cord injuries to live an essentially normal life span, and to lead full, meaningful, and productive lives. As is true for their friends and colleagues, they work, raise families, and compete in sports. The wear and tear associated with aging and SCI means that these individuals must deal with the fact that the effects of normal aging are superimposed on those of the spinal cord injury, and activities that once might have been easy in many cases become increasingly difficult. Perhaps pushing a wheelchair up a hill or transferring in and out of a car is more challenging than it once was. Heart disease, pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and pressure sores are common health ailments specific to those with SCI; declining financial resources and aging caregivers are common social problems. This is the definitive guide to dealing with the major challenges faced by those with spinal cord injuries, as related to health, finances, and their social support system. It is primarily designed to identify medical and nonmedical problems that individuals may face as they live with SCI for a number of years. Medical issues are considered by body system and include discussions of the cardiovascular system, the respiratory system, the gastrointestinal system, the urinary system, the musculoskeletal system, the skin, and psychological issues. Following these discussions of common medical issues related to SCI is a section that deals with mobility and transportation issues, including wheelchairs, the selection of vans and minivans, and the usefulness of a fresh look at rehabilitation issues. A section on managing finances includes a chapter on dealing with home health attendants while appendices provide information for caregivers, a glossary of commonly used terms in SCI, and a helpful list of resources. A wealth of practical advice by other people with spinal cord injuries as well as experts in the field has also been provided to help tackle the daily challenges faced by those with SCI. This book will bring a better quality of life to the reader living with SCI. Through vigilance and planning, a person with spinal cord injury can age gracefully and have a good quality of life for many years.

"From the first to the last page, this book is so full of information that as a person working in the world of spinal cord injury, I found myself in an unfamiliar situation. Never had I read a book related to my profession that I didnít have trouble putting down. Iím not saying that such books are boring by any means; however, they are not the captivating fictional reads that keep people up late on work nights thinking 'just one more chapter.' Essentials of Spinal Cord Medicine was that type of book for me!... Overall, I thought this book was nothing short of fantastic... it was so full of information that makes me feel more confident as a technologist, and more compassionate as a human. I would highly recommend this for any practitioner working in the field where they may encounter a person with spinal cord injury." -- Donna Jacobs, R. EEG T., CNIM, The Neurodiagnostic Journal This compact text is a practical, concise guide for clinicians involved in the care of patients with spinal cord injuries and disorders. It covers a comprehensive and diverse list of topics encompassing the principles and practice of spinal cord injury care, including basic science fundamentals, traumatic spinal cord injury, non-traumatic myelopathies, physical function and rehabilitation, medical consequences and complications of spinal cord injury, psychosocial and quality of life issues, and systems-based practice. Chapters are consistently formatted for ease of use and are organized under the broad headings of general principles, clinical considerations, and knowledge gaps and emerging concepts, and conclude with a curated list of suggested readings. Within these categories, specifics on underlying pathophysiology and etiology, assessment (examination, testing, differential diagnosis, prognosis, and risk factors) and management (non-pharmacological, medications, surgical procedures, follow-up and monitoring, primary and secondary prevention, and complications), and recent clinical advances and promising research are easily accessed. The book also addresses such quality of life issues as psychological adaptation, sexuality and fertility, vocational training, driving, and exercise, and includes information about systems of care and patient safety as well as ethical considerations. The guide is peppered with useful tables that highlight and reinforce key material. Additionally, ìPractice Pearlsî in selected chapters enhance the guide as a handy go-to reference for clinicians and trainees in multiple disciplines who care for people with spinal cord injuries and disorders. Key Features: A concise, practical manual designed for rapid access to key information on a broad range of topics integral to the practice of spinal cord medicine Covers both traumatic spinal cord injury and non-traumatic disorders and their evaluation, management, medical complications, functional rehabilitation, and quality of life concerns Packed with useful tables to highlight and reinforce key material Formatted consistently with short, reader-friendly paragraphs and clarifying sub-titles

From a hospital admittance to discharge to outpatient rehabilitation, Spinal Cord Injuries addresses the wide spectrum of rehabilitation interventions and administrative and clinical issues specific to patients with spinal cord injuries. Comprehensive coverage includes costs, life expectancies, acute care, respiratory care, documentation, goal setting, clinical treatment, complications, and activities of daily living associated with spinal cord patients. In addition to physical therapy interventions and family education components, this resource includes content on incidence, etiology, diagnosis, and clinical features of spinal cord injury. Case Studies with clinical application thinking exercises help you apply knowledge from the book to real life situations. Thoroughly referenced, evidence-based content provides the best evidence for treatment based on the most current research. Tables and boxes throughout each chapter organize and summarize important information for quick reference. Clinical Note boxes provide at-a-glance access to helpful tips. Over 500 clinical photos, line drawings, radiographs, and more bring important concepts to life. Highly respected experts in spinal cord injury rehabilitation, editors Sue Ann Sisto, Erica Druin, and Martha Sliwinski, provide authoritative guidance on the foundations and principles of practice for spinal cord injury. Companion DVD includes video clips of the techniques described throughout the book that demonstrate how to apply key concepts to practice.