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Spinal
Cord Injury (SCI): Prevention Tips
Safety Tips for You and Your Family
(Unless otherwise noted, the safety tips have been adapted from the National Spinal Cord Injury Association Prevention Steps and Think First-National Injury Prevention Foundation Spinal Cord Fact Sheet.)
Safety tips for preventing the occurrence of a SCI
Motor vehicles are the leading cause of SCI in the United States for people under age 65 (Berkowitz 1998). Here are some safety tips for driving and riding in motor vehicles.
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Always wear a seat belt.
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Secure or buckle children into age- and weight-appropriate child safety seats.
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Secure or buckled children under 12 years old in the back seat to avoid air bag injuries.
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Never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
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Do not ride in a car with a driver who is impaired by alcohol or drugs..
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Prevent others from driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs.
Falls are the leading cause of SCI for people 65 and older (Berkowitz 1998). To help prevent falls,
take the following steps:
(Unless otherwise noted, fall prevention tips below are adapted from the Brain Injury Association of America Fall fact
sheet.)
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Secure banisters and handrails at all stairwells.
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Use a step stool with a grab bar to reach objects on high shelves.
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Place non-slip mats on the bathtub and shower floor.
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Install grab bars in the shower and bathtub.
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Exercise regularly to keep muscle tone and balance.
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Wear sturdy non-slip shoes.
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Where possible, reduce the use of medications with the side effects that increase the risk of falling (Thurman 1999).
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Perform a home safety check and remove things that may be tripped over.
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Use safety gates at the bottom and top of stairs when young children are around (National SAFE KIDS Campaign 2002).
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Install window guards in windows above the first floor (National SAFE KIDS Campaign 2002).
More information about preventing falls is located in
CDC's Toolkit to Prevent Senior Falls.
Sports and recreation activities are associated with approximately 18% of all SCIs. The majority of these SCIs occur among persons 0 to 29 ( Berkowitz 1998). Below are tips to help make sports and recreation activities safer:
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Always wear a helmet when
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Riding a bike, motorcycle, scooter, or skateboard;
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In-line skating and
rollerskating;
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Skiing or snowboarding;
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Horseback riding.
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Wear a helmet during the following sports activities
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Make sure the water is deep enough before you go in headfirst, if the water is too shallow you can be seriously injured. Entering
feet first is safer than diving. (American Red Cross Water Safety Tips)
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Wear the appropriate safety gear when engaging in sports activities.
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Avoid head-first moves, such as tackling with the top of your head or sliding head-first into a base.
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Insist on spotters when performing activities that can put you at risk, such as new gymnastics moves.
Firearms are a leading cause of spinal cord injury (Berkowitz 1998). If you have firearms in your home, the following steps can make your home safer:
Preventing
secondary conditions for people with SCI
(Adapted from patient education material from the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the summary of the presentation “Secondary Conditions of SCI” by Amie Jackson, MD.)
More research is needed to better understand how to prevent secondary conditions. However, the following tips are believed to reduce the risk of secondary conditions related to SCI.
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Eat a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of protein foods, fresh fruits, and vegetables to help keep your skin, urinary tract, and bowel functions healthy.
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Change your position frequently in a wheelchair and in bed to prevent pressure sores. Exercise to improve respiratory function, increase bone strength, regulate bodily functions, and possibly improve
spasticity.
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Drink water throughout the day to benefit your skin, urinary tract, and bowel functions.
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Do not smoke. Smoking constricts your blood vessels making it harder for blood, oxygen, and nutrients to flow to
the body tissues. Smoking also negatively affects respiratory health.
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Regularly examine your skin and pay special attention to bony areas such as heels, tailbone, and shoulder blades.
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Establish a good relationship with your physician and have regular physical check ups.
In Your Community
Paralyzed Veterans of America Awareness week, which occurs in the third week of April, provides an opportunity to raise awareness and educate your community about spinal cord injuries.
Sports and recreation-related activities are a major cause of spinal cord injury for people aged 0-29 (Berkowitz 1998). Work with your school districts, community based organizations, and faith organizations to incorporate prevention and safety tips into their programs. ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation (www.thinkfirst.org) provides lesson and activity plans to help teach children and adolescents how to prevent spinal cord injuries.
Educate school coaches, community sports league officials and coaches, referees, public swimming organizations, and sports arena (e.g., ice rink) owners about the risks of spinal cord injuries during sports and recreational activities. For example, provide sessions for football coaches about proper tackling techniques and proper conditioning exercises for the neck, encourage referees to enforce tackling rules in your community leagues, and increase awareness among administrators and coaches about proper handling and evaluation of a player injured during practice or competition (CDC 1990).
Links to Partner Organizations
Spinal Cord Injury Network Hotline
A toll-free information and referral service to help paraplegics, quadriplegics, and their family members find the services they need to improve their quality of life.
Contact Information:
Phone: 800-548-2673
National Spinal Cord Injury Association (NSCIA)
NSCIA works to develop better programs and services and acts as community advocates for improved access, housing, transportation, employment, and leisure time activities for persons with disabilities.
Contact Information:
National Office: 800-962-9629
Resource Center: 301-588-6959
www.spinalcord.org
American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA)
ASIA works to educate members, other healthcare professionals, patients and their families and the public about all aspects of spinal cord injury and its consequences prevent injuries, improve care, increase available services, and maximize the injured individual's potential for full participation in all areas of community life.
Contact Information:
2020 Peachtree Road, NW
Atlanta, GA 30309-1402
Phone: 404-355-1826
Fax: 404-355-1826
www.asia-spinalinjury.org
Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA)
PVA works to ensure quality health care for members, encourage research and education addressing spinal cord injury and dysfunction, and maximize the independence of paralyzed veterans.
Contact Information:
Paralyzed Veterans of America
801 Eighteenth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006-3517
Phone: 800-424-8200
www.pva.org
ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation
The mission of the Thinkfirst Foundation is to prevent brain, spinal cord, and other traumatic injuries by educating individuals, community leaders, and policy makers.
Contact Information:
5550 Meadowbrook Drive, Suite 110
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008
Phone: 847-290-8600
Fax: 847-290-9005
Email: thinkfirst@thinkfirst.org
www.thinkfirst.org
Foundation for Spinal Cord Injury Prevention, Care, and Cure (FSCIPCC)
FSCIPCC is a non profit educational group dedicated to the prevention, care, and cure of spinal cord injuries through public awareness, education, and supporting outside research.
Contact Information:
19223 Roscommon
Harper Woods, MI 48225
Phone: 800-342-0330
Fax: 313-245-0812
Email: info@fscip.org
www.fscip.org
Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation (CRPF)
CRPF encourages and supports research to develop effective treatments and a cure for paralysis caused by spinal cord injury and other central nervous system disorders. The Foundation also allocates a portion of its resources to grants that improve the quality of life for people with disabilities.
Contact Information:
500 Morris Avenue
Springfield, NJ 07081
Phone: 800-225-0292
Fax: 973-912-9433
Email: info@crpf.org
www.apacure.com
Spinal Cord Injury Information Network
SCI Information Network provides information about spinal cord injury and rehabilitation using the data from the Model Systems Database. The Model Systems data is not population based, but it is an important source of clinical outcome data for spinal cord injury.
Contact Information:
www.spinalcord.uab.edu
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