Rehabilitation for people with cervical spinal cord injury

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Specialist Doctor I Nguyen Thi Thanh Binh - Rehabilitation Doctor - Department of General Surgery - Vinmec Da Nang International General Hospital.

Cervical spinal cord rehabilitation is an important treatment method for patients with cervical spinal cord contusion because cervical spinal cord contusion often causes quadriplegia, most of the patients are young people of working age.
The rehabilitation process needs to be carried out early and requires cooperation between medical staff such as doctors, technicians and patients, including family members. Rehabilitation is a long journey, patients need to put their trust in medical staff and persevere in practice to the end to improve efficiency.

Proceed as soon as possible. Close cooperation between doctors and patients. Rehabilitation combined with nurturing and comprehensive care.

Rehabilitation should be carried out in parallel with other treatments. The content of the procedure depends on the stage of the disease:
2.1 Acute stage Be careful when giving first aid and transporting the patient: absolutely do not bend the patient's neck or back, firmly fix the patient on a wooden handle or hard cushion. Emergency management of life-threatening conditions such as hypovolemic shock due to blood loss, spinal shock,... Surgery to combine bone and decompress the bone marrow if available Prevention and care of skin pressure ulcers: regular change positions and turn, ensure hygiene, keep skin dry. Gastrointestinal care Urinary tract care Respiratory care Passive movement, with support to avoid stiffness, muscle atrophy 2.2 Recovery phase Prevention and care of skin pressure ulcers Regularly change positions and rotate back, ensure hygiene, keep the skin dry. Caregivers should assist in repositioning by rolling the patient away from or near them. Note that when placing the patient in a supine position, the lower shoulder should be brought forward slightly to avoid ulcers between the shoulder blades. Use a water mattress to avoid ulcer complications. Caregivers must not be subjective and skip this step because once an ulcer appears, it will be difficult to heal, affecting the patient's quality of life. In the unfortunate case, if there is a pressure ulcer, the patient needs to be changed regularly, cut the wound, or treat with ultraviolet rays,...
Urinary care Maintain genital hygiene In addition, catheterization helps to minimize urinary tract infection complications.
Intestinal care Most patients with spinal cord injury lose the ability to push themselves when defecating. It is necessary to conduct enema or manually remove the stool.
Physical therapy exercises for patients with spinal cord injury Breathing and coughing exercises: People with cervical spinal cord contusion must face partial paralysis of the respiratory muscles. Therefore, the patient loses the ability to cough, causing sputum sputum, increasing the likelihood of pneumonia. Place both hands in front of the patient's chest, pressing firmly on the chest when the patient coughs. Avoid shifting the spine.
Passive movement: in cervical spinal cord contusion, the patient has quadriplegia, muscle spasms are common in the joints, accompanied by stiffness. Therefore, it is necessary to move the joints often, about 10 times a day.
Psychological support This is a factor that must not be ignored when treating people with spinal cord injuries. Losing the ability to function suddenly due to an accident is a great psychological trauma, the patient is easy to fall into a state of panic, frustration, depression and irritability. The patient's family and medical staff need to understand and support by:
Show sympathy and be ready to help the patient. Regularly encourage them, provide opportunities for them to play, work, relieve stress. Encourage the patient to take care of themselves and provide support when needed. Do not leave the patient alone. Explain the disability slowly, without hiding or lying to the patient that it can be completely cured. Encourage the patient to meet many other people who have also suffered spinal cord injuries to live, chat, and help the spirit to be happier and more optimistic.

Change in living environment The surrounding living environment should be adjusted and changed to be suitable for the patient's living and movement. Some suggestions are as follows:
Widen the doors, bathroom doors to make wheelchair accessible. There should be no steps or obstacles in the patient's passageways. Handrails should be designed around the toilet area. The kitchen area should be of an appropriate height, fully equipped so that the patient can still perform housework while in a wheelchair. The Rehabilitation gym at Vinmec International General Hospital is fully equipped with the most modern and synchronous machines.
Closed chain of gyms from gross to fine motor for Rehabilitation of movement, living and hand function training. A system of high-class specialized machines, beds, and tools from the Netherlands, Italy, Japan, etc. integrates the application of advanced informatics technology to help optimize the treatment and rehabilitation process for patients. Intensive rehabilitation treatment rooms: Rehabilitation after surgery; Pediatric respiratory physiotherapy; Shock wave treatment; Treatment with magnetic fields... High-class machines, training beds, and specialized tools from the Netherlands, Italy, Japan... integrates the application of advanced informatics technology to help optimize the treatment process. , rehabilitation for patients Rehabilitation gym provides the following services:
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