Main description:

This compact book uniquely examines individual lived experience with spinal cord injury (SCI). It provides education and a clearer understanding of the many facets of a SCI -- medical, physical, psychological, cognitive, personal, and social -- in a single compact volume, so that readers learn the effect a SCI can have on a person. The contents also include resources for more specific exploration of information.

SCI is a direct public health concern due to not only the cause of the injury itself, most often of violent origin, but also how the individuals perceive themselves after the injury and their participation in society, as well as how society welcomes them back.
This compact book has four distinct chapters, each one addressing a different component of SCI with a set of resources to guide the individual with SCI, their family and their friends in the process. It first explores the physical as a means to provide an understanding of what body changes occur. From there, it goes on to examine what is the subjective meaning and lived experience of disability for persons with SCI. The brief ends with an examination of what organizations and programs exist to promote independence and a sense of community for persons with SCI.
The Physical, Personal, and Social Impact of Spinal Cord Injury: From the Loss of Identity to Achieving a Life Worth Living is a book with broad appeal. It is written in such a way that it serves as a useful and accessible resource for people who work with persons with SCI, students and instructors with an interest in the subject, as well as persons with SCI themselves and their families.

Contents:

1 Background

1.1 Anatomy

1.2 Statistical Considerations

1.3 Intervention: Medical

1.3.1 Acute Intervention

1.3.2 Assessment of Neurological Function

1.3.3 Orthopedic Repair and Spinal Stabilization

1.3.4 Exploratory Surgery for Soft Tissue Damage

1.3.5 Respiratory Involvement

1.3.6 Use of Steroids and Cold

1.4 Medical Consequences of SCI

1.4.1 Pressure Injuries

1.4.2 Pain

1.4.3 Spasticity Management

1.4.4 Bladder and Bowel Function

1.4.5 Sexual Health

1.4.6 Respiratory

1.4.7 Autonomic Dysreflexia

1.4.8 Orthostatic Hypotension

1.4.9 Bone Health

1.4.10 Cardiovascular Considerations

2 Interventions

2.1 Rehabilitation

2.2 Wheelchairs and Complex Rehabilitation Technology

2.2.1 The Assessment

2.2.1.1 The Physical Assessment

2.2.1.2 Social and Environmental Assessment

2.2.2 Considerations for Wheelchair Design: Manual Wheelchair

2.2.2.1 Components

2.2.3 Considerations for Wheelchair Design: Power Wheelchair

2.2.3.1 Power Assist Wheelchairs (PAW)

2.2.3.2 Power Seat Functions

2.2.4 Seating Considerations

2.2.4.1 Seat Cushions and Back Supports

2.2.4.2 Positioning Accessory Components

2.2.5 Insurance Considerations

2.2.6 Other Technologies and Interventions

2.2.6.1 Bathroom Equipment

2.2.6.2 Standing Frame

2.2.6.3 Exoskeleton

2.2.6.4 Electrical Stimulation

2.2.6.5 Locomotive Training

2.2.6.6 Sports Devices

3 Subjective Experience

3.1 Subjective Meaning of SCI

3.2 Loneliness

3.3 The Overarching Concept of Time

3.4 Initial Reactions to a Changed Body

3.5 Wheelchair Use

3.6 Grief and Depression

3.7 Hope

3.8 Finding Meaning in Membership

4 The Future

4.1 Legislation

4.1.1 Civil Rights and Access: From the Civil Rights Act to the ADA

4.1.2 Additional Legislation to Promote Access and Inclusivity

4.1.3 Advocacy

4.2 Funding Considerations

4.2.1 Medicaid

4.2.2 Crime Victims Fund

4.3 Employment

4.3.1 Protections and Statistics

4.3.2 Working and Receiving Benefits

4.3.2.1 Medicaid

4.3.2.2 Pooled Trust

4.4 Employment Programs

4.4.1 The Ticket to Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 (P.L. 106-170)

4.4.2 Vocational Rehabilitation

4.4.3 Employment Benefits and Opportunities

4.5 Living in the Community