Spinal Cord Injury may have occurred suddenly, after an accident or gradually as a result of a disease of the spine or spinal cord. Causes of spinal cord injury include: Trauma (e.g. fall, motor vehicle accidents), infections, tumours, arthritis etc.
You may have some of the following complaints:
- Inability to move your limbs
- Difficulty with walking
- Numbness in different parts of your body
- Loss of bladder or bowel control
- Feeling a sense of helplessness and despair
Our Rehabilitation team will help set you on the path towards functional recovery.
The team will set goals for you based on our standard assessments. The daily therapy program may include self-care training, wheelchair mobility training, gait training and caregiver training as appropriate. Personalised bladder and bowel training programme will be introduced to help prevent complications that can arise from changes in your bladder and bowel function. Your progress and goals shall be reviewed regularly. Based on your condition, we may prescribe appropriate mobility and self-care aids like wheelchairs, walkers and commodes.
Before discharge, our Rehabilitation team will discuss any relevant issues or concerns of yours such as coping and transitioning from hospital to home environment, fertility and sexuality issues, home or work assessment and modification etc. with you and your family. You will also be followed up in the outpatient setting, to further optimise functional recovery for better integration into the community.