Spinal Cord Dysfunction: Volume II: Intervention and Treatment

Second in a series dealing with abnormalities resulting from injuries or diseases affecting the spine, this volume focuses on the techniques available for its treatment and management. It evaluates the relative benefits of various treatments and discusses the management of associated problems.

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This is the second in a series of books dealing with the enormous clinical problem of spinal cord dysfunction. Volume I discussed assessment; this book focuses on intervention. There are three main approaches to the restoration of function after damage to the spinal cord: the prevention of secondary pathological events; the identification of impaired or absent functions in nerve cells and processes that survive the initial insult; and restoration of severed neuronal connections. This book addresses the first two of these approaches. It contains a discussion of the arguments about early decompression of the spinal cord following injury, therapy of acute spinal injury, and the effects of early treatment and local cooling on spinal cord blood flow. The management of specific problems associated with spinal cord dysfunction is addressed; these problems include cardiovascular abnormalities due to autonomic dysfunction, bladder control, pain, and sexual function. Current procedures of rehabilitation (particularly the management of chronic problems and the treatment of complications) are summarized, and ideas on motor control and learning are discussed.