5 Steps to Recovery After a SCI

Mobility return and sensation return are without question the number one concerns of people with spinal cord injuries and their family and friends in the initial stages of their injury. Recovering from a spinal cord injury however is typically never 100% because of the body being unable to repair the spinal cord. There are however many things you can do to help with your recovery.

And it's important to note that in each person recovery is different. While one person may have triceps and biceps return, another person may have biceps return only, and their injuries could be in the exact same area. Doctors are still unsure why this occurs, among many other mysteries regarding the spinal cord, which is why there's always ongoing spinal cord injury research.

In the meantime, there are several things individuals with spinal cord injuries can do to improve their chances of recovery. Here are some of the best steps to follow below.

5. Complete Initial Inpatient Physical & Occupational Therapy

The number of days individuals receive of inpatient occupational and physical therapy after a spinal cord injury is 30 to 60 days, and then they receive several months of outpatient therapy. And this is if you are lucky. Many people with private health insurance may receive less therapy; both inpatient or outpatient, which does not bode well for recovery.

The physical and occupational therapy that happens in the early stages of a spinal cord injury is critical to recovery. Moving the body right away once the person injured is stable greatly improves the chances of recovery.

4. Extend Outpatient Therapy

If it's possible in your state and with your specific health insurance (check your Medicaid and/or Medicare coverage limits), ask your doctor to recommend additional physical therapy for as long as possible after you’ve been discharged. Outpatient therapy maintains the gains made in inpatient rehab, and then builds on them. While a few months of outpatient therapy is standard, it’s beneficial to have years of outpatient therapy (1-2 years minimum). The return people see after dedicating themselves to rehabilitation for at least 1 year post-injury can be astounding.

3. Try Activity-Based Therapy
   
   When it comes to extending physical therapy we recommend checking out activity-based therapy; a form of physical therapy focused on moving the entire body. The theory is that if you move a paralyzed limb over and over again, the nerves remember the movement and "wake up.” Gait training is a core component. No health insurance plans cover activity-based therapy however, so people will create fundraisers to cover the costs. If interested, check out these activity-based therapy gyms with locations nationwide: Nextstep, Neurorecovery Network and Project Walk.

2. Enroll in Research Trials

There are more spinal cord injury trials available than ever before and many are open to people with new spinal cord injuries. To find all the open trials that are currently recruiting and to apply to a trial, a great place to start is by visiting ClinicalTrials.gov. Additionally, you can find SCI research trials at the NationalIinstitutes of Health. Click here to find a study: https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/spinalinjury/clinicaltrials. And lastly, check out SCITrials.org for even more information on spinal cord injury clinical trials.

1. Setup a Home Therapy Program

One of the most important steps of maximizing recovery chances is setting up a home therapy gym to continue your physical therapy and overall health as the years pass after your injury. Some of the most important things to have in a home therapy gym for someone with a spinal cord injury includes a standing frame, a vibration plate to maintain bone density, therapy mat, a FES (functional electronic simulation) machine to maintain muscle mass, hand-cycle for cardio and more.

Once you're home, it's also important to assess your financial needs. If you’re newly injured and need to contact a medical malpractice attorney (https://www.swoperodante.com/our-practice-areas/medical-malpractice/), we are equipped to help.