Topics in spinal cord injury rehabilitation
-
Top Spinal Cord Inj Rehabil · Jan 2015
Facilitators and barriers to employment among veterans with spinal cord injury receiving 12 months of evidence-based supported employment services.
Return to work is associated with positive rehabilitation outcomes for persons with spinal cord injury (SCI); however, more research is needed on vocational support for persons with disabilities seeking employment. ⋯ Qualitative data illustrate how the integration of the vocational rehabilitation specialist on the medical team is helpful for addressing identified disability-specific barriers, including practical matters such as transportation and caregiving schedules, to facilitate employment outcomes.
-
Top Spinal Cord Inj Rehabil · Jan 2015
Dynamic Three-Dimensional Ultrasound to Evaluate Scapular Movement Among Manual Wheelchair Users and Healthy Controls.
A large percentage of individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) report shoulder pain that can limit independence and quality of life. The pain is likely related to the demands placed on the shoulder by transfers and propulsion. Shoulder pathology has been linked to altered scapular mechanics; however, current methods to evaluate scapular movement are invasive, require ionizing radiation, are subject to skin-based motion artifacts, or require static postures. ⋯ Individuals with SCI, as well as other populations who are susceptible to shoulder pathology, may benefit from the application of this imaging modality to quantitatively evaluate scapular positioning and effectively target therapeutic interventions.
-
Top Spinal Cord Inj Rehabil · Jan 2015
Epidemiology of Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury Among Persons Older Than 21 Years: A Population-Based Study in South Carolina, 1998-2012.
A gap exists in the current knowledge regarding the epidemiology of traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) in a statewide population. ⋯ Standardized incidence and mortality rates of TSCI in South Carolina are higher than reported rates for the US population. Motor vehicle crashes and falls are the leading causes of TSCI. There was a significant increase in the overall trend of the incidence rates over the 15 years. A well-coordinated preventive strategy is needed to reduce incidence and improve survival of persons with TSCI.
-
Top Spinal Cord Inj Rehabil · Jan 2015
Aging and Spinal Cord Injury: External Causes of Injury and Implications for Prevention.
Despite a consistent trend toward older age at time of spinal cord injury (SCI), little is known about the external causes of SCI in the elderly. ⋯ There is an urgent need for effective fall prevention programs among the elderly to reduce SCI in this expanding population. Details on the mechanisms of falls and other major causes of SCI among the elderly provided in this study should inform the development of future interventions for high-risk persons, activities, and environments.
-
Top Spinal Cord Inj Rehabil · Jan 2015
Epidemiology of Pediatric Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury in a Population-Based Cohort, 1998-2012.
Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) that occurs in children and adolescents who are still developing represents a different challenge than SCI in adults. However, information on the epidemiology and incidence of SCI in a population-based cohort is lacking. ⋯ Although there was an overall trend toward decreasing incidence in this population-based cohort, when stratified by race, this trend only occurred in the White population.