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Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staffFollowing this advice may reduce your risk of a spinal cord injury:
- Drive safely. Car crashes are one of the most common causes of spinal cord injuries. Wear a seat belt every time you drive or ride in a car. Make sure that your children wear a seat belt or use an age- and weight-appropriate child safety seat. To protect them from air bag injuries, children under age 12 should always ride in the back seat.
- Check water depth before diving. To make sure you don't dive into shallow water, don't dive into a pool unless it's 9 feet or deeper, don't dive into an aboveground pool, and don't dive into any water of which you don't know the depth.
- Prevent falls. Use a step stool with a grab bar to reach objects in high places. Add handrails along stairways. Put nonslip mats on tile floors and in the tub or shower. For young children, use safety gates to block stairs and consider installing window guards.
- Take precautions when playing sports. Always wear recommended safety gear. Avoid leading with your head in sports. For example, don't slide headfirst in baseball, and don't tackle using the top of your helmet in football. Use a spotter for new moves in gymnastics.
- Don't drink and drive. Don't drive while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs. Don't ride with a driver who's been drinking.
References
- Spinal cord injury: Hope through research. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/sci/detail_sci.htm. Accessed June 28, 2011.
- Spinal trauma. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec21/ch311/ch311a.html. Accessed June 28, 2011.
- Spinal cord injury facts. American Association of Neurological Surgeons. http://www.aans.org/Patient%20Information/Fact%20Sheets.aspx. Accessed June 28, 2011.
- Hansebout RR, et al. Acute traumatic spinal cord injury. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 21, 2011.
- Spinal cord injury (SCI): Prevention tips. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/sciprevention.htm. Accessed June 28, 2011.
- Spinal cord injury acts and figures at a glance. National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center. www.nscisc.uab.edu/public_content/pdf/Facts%202011%20Feb%20Final.pdf. Accessed June 28, 2011.
- Revel SMH. Symptom clusters in traumatic spinal cord injury: An exploratory literature review. Journal of Neuroscience Nursing. 2011;43:85.
- Abrams GM, et al. Chronic complications of spinal cord injury. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 21, 2011.
- Fouad K, et al. Spinal cord injury and plasticity: Opportunities and challenges. Brain Research Bulletin. 2011;84:337.
- Van den Berg MEL, et al. Survival after spinal cord injury: A systematic review. Journal of Neurotrauma. 2010;27:1517.
- Marsh BC, et al. Movement rehabilitation after spinal cord injuries: Emerging concepts and future directions. Brain Research Bulletin. 2011;84:327.
- Fast facts: Spinal cord injury. ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation. http://www.thinkfirst.org/About/Facts.asp. Accessed July 1, 2011.
- Emken JL, et al. Feasibility of manual teach-and-replay and continuous impedance shaping for robotic locomotor training following spinal cord injury. Transactions on Biomedical Engineering. 2008;55:322.
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