Mastering mobility challenges with a spinal cord injury (SCI).
Learn more about solutions to support your mobility.
Recovering from a major neurological injury.
A spinal cord injury is a serious, traumatic event that can put many life-changing limits on your mobility: from weakness in your limbs to muscle spasms, chronic pain, and complete loss of muscle control.
Recovering from this kind of injury can be a long and challenging process, especially when it comes to your freedom of movement. But with the right care, support, and holistic approach, it’s possible for many patients to regain the mobility they need to take part in everyday life. Keep reading to learn how.
Sina’s story: Learning to live and move again.
A devoted math and physical education teacher, Sina wouldn’t let a spinal cord injury hold her back from her students, her work, and the life she wanted to live.
Watch her story to learn more about some of the challenges she faced, and how Ottobock NeuroMobility solutions helped her move more freely and confidently again.
The different kinds of spinal cord injury.
The spinal cord sends messages between the brain and the rest of the body for movement and sensation. Layers of tissue and a column of vertebrae surround and protect the spinal cord. In most cases, a spinal cord injury results from some kind of trauma, like a traffic accident, fall, sports injury, violent event, or cancer, and is likely to cause fractures or compression of the vertebrae, damaging the spinal cord. However it occurs, a spinal cord injury can result in temporary or permanent changes that seriously disrupt nerve signals and muscle control, commonly in your limbs and torso, but can also affect bladder and bowel (intestinal) function and metabolism (the body's process of converting food into energy).
To understand how a spinal cord injury can affect your mobility, it’s important to understand two things:
The difference between “complete” and “incomplete” spinal cord injuries
Where the neurological damage has occurred in your spinal cord
Here’s a closer look at both ways spinal cord injuries are classified and how the different types can affect your mobility.
“Complete” vs “incomplete” injuries.
Most spinal cord injuries will have a major impact on nerve signals and muscle control below the site of your injury. The impact on your mobility may vary depending on how severely your spinal cord has been damaged. The different movement-related symptoms fall into two main types of spinal cord injury:
Full loss of muscle control
This kind of injury is the most serious and usually leaves patients with paralysis and no muscle control below the location of their injury and affects both sides of the body. Depending on where the injury occurs, people with complete injuries often cannot move their arms, torso, and/or legs.
This kind of injury is the most serious and usually leaves patients with paralysis and no muscle control below the location of their injury and affects both sides of the body. Depending on where the injury occurs, people with complete injuries often cannot move their arms, torso, and/or legs.
Partial loss of muscle control
After an incomplete spinal cord injury, only part of the spinal cord is damaged, this commonly results from compression or damage to the spinal cord that reduces the brain's ability to send signals below the injury site. People with this kind of injury may still have some ability to move their limbs and torso. Even limited control of those parts of their body can make a big difference in their ability to use different mobility aids.
After an incomplete spinal cord injury, only part of the spinal cord is damaged, this commonly results from compression or damage to the spinal cord that reduces the brain's ability to send signals below the injury site. People with this kind of injury may still have some ability to move their limbs and torso. Even limited control of those parts of their body can make a big difference in their ability to use different mobility aids.
Location of your injury
Doctors can also classify your spinal cord injury based on where exactly your spine has been damaged. There are four main areas they focus on:
Cervical (neck area)
Cervical spinal cord injuries are the most common kind of spinal cord injury. Complete cervical injuries often lead to a loss of motor function in the lower and upper body (quadriplegia). Incomplete cervical injuries may cause weakness or paralysis in the shoulders, neck, arms, trunk, or legs.
Exploring mobility solutions
If you’ve experienced any type of spinal cord injury, mobility solutions like orthoses, wheelchairs, and neuromodulation technologies can be a valuable part of your recovery and ongoing care. But the right options will vary depending on your injury and symptoms.
For example, a patient with a complete thoracic injury may need a wheelchair to navigate their day. An individual with an incomplete lumbar injury may recover some ability to walk with the help of orthoses. Whatever your injury, it’s important to talk to an expert - like a Physiotherapist or certified Orthotist - to explore the options that are best for you.
Click below or keep reading to learn more about some of these products and technologies.
Major symptoms that can limit your motor function
The nerves in the spinal cord play a critical role in many different bodily functions. Damaging them can lead to many different neurological issues, from respiratory and circulatory problems to bowel and bladder dysfunction. These debilitating issues can also have a major impact on some patients’ mental health too.
Mobility challenges, however, are among the most common and disabling results of a spinal cord injury. Depending on exactly how and where your spine has been damaged, spinal cord injuries can cause several severe, lifelong symptoms, including paralysis (paraplegia or tetraplegia), paresis (partial paralysis), spasticity, and pain.
Paralysis (paraplegia)
Complete spinal cord injuries cause paralysis below the site of the injury and depending on the location of the injury can leave patients unable to move their arms, midsection, and legs. Lower complete injuries often paralyse a patient’s hips, legs, and feet.
Complete spinal cord injuries cause paralysis below the site of the injury and depending on the location of the injury can leave patients unable to move their arms, midsection, and legs. Lower complete injuries often paralyse a patient’s hips, legs, and feet.
Paresis (partial paralysis)
With incomplete spinal cord injuries, a patient may experience weakness or loss of some control in their limbs - a condition called paresis. Patients with paresis may still have some limited ability to move their arms and legs.
With incomplete spinal cord injuries, a patient may experience weakness or loss of some control in their limbs - a condition called paresis. Patients with paresis may still have some limited ability to move their arms and legs.
Spasticity (uncontrolled muscle contractions)
Most people with a spinal cord injury will experience muscle stiffness, spasms, or tightening. These symptoms can make many daily activities more difficult, from sitting up, to personal hygiene, to sitting comfortably at a table.
Most people with a spinal cord injury will experience muscle stiffness, spasms, or tightening. These symptoms can make many daily activities more difficult, from sitting up, to personal hygiene, to sitting comfortably at a table.
Chronic pain
Many people with a spinal cord injury will experience some form of severe, constant pain. Sometimes that pain is related to spasticity, but it can also come from straining or overusing muscles weakened by the injury.
Many people with a spinal cord injury will experience some form of severe, constant pain. Sometimes that pain is related to spasticity, but it can also come from straining or overusing muscles weakened by the injury.
Increasing your mobility after a spinal cord injury
Your recovery and rehabilitation may look different depending on your injury and its impact, but it should always involve a multidisciplinary care team - including experts in physiotherapy, orthotics, and mobility. These specialists may approach your treatment in a variety of ways, depending on the location of your injury, your exact symptoms, and your residual muscle control.
That care typically has three key phases:
Acute treatment: Immediately after a spinal injury, the top priority is to protect your vital functions, stabilise your spine, and prevent more severe complications.
Rehabilitation: Once your spine has been stabilised, the focus shifts to holistic treatment for the physical, psychological, social, and occupational impact of your injury. During this phase, you may start using a combination of different mobility aids to help you rebuild your ability to move.
Long-term care: People with a spinal cord injury typically require many forms of ongoing support for their mobility, independence, and overall quality of life. Over time, your care team may have you continue trying different combinations of mobility aids, from orthoses, to wheelchairs, to a neuromodulation device for spasticity symptoms.
Managing symptoms with NeuroMobility solutions
No matter what kind of spinal cord injury you’ve experienced, improving your mobility will be a big part of your long-term care. Freedom of movement is critical to everyday life, from personal care, to eating and working, navigating your world, and beyond.
Many different mobility aids can help, from simple braces, to wheelchairs, to advanced neuromodulation devices designed to reduce spasticity and related pain. Here’s a closer look at some of these technologies and solutions.
The Exopulse Mollii Suit
This innovative wearable device is designed to help relieve spasticity and related pain. It provides near-full body stimulation that may help reduce these symptoms in patients with many different nerve disorders.
Learn how we support people with spinal cord injuries.
Exploring ways to improve your or a loved one’s mobility after a spinal cord injury? We’d love to help. Submit the following form and a member of our NeuroMobility team will get in touch shortly.