Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation

An evidenced-based guide to the development in spinal cord rehabilitation. It encompasses the scientific knowledge and technological advances practitioners need to know to determine the most effective rehabilitation interventions for each patient and to attain maximum restoration of function in individuals with SCI.

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One of the world's leading authorities in spinal cord injury, and a participant in the Human Brain Project brings you an evidenced-based guide to the state-of-the-art in spinal cord rehabilitation. She has assembled an expert team of clinicians, each with expertise in the content areas they address. Their work encompasses all of the new scientific knowledge and technological advances practitioners need to know to determine the most effective rehabilitation interventions for each patient and to attain maximum restoration of function in individuals with SCI. This title discusses how neural circuitry changes as a consequence of SCI, how neural activity may be used to predict prognosis, and what interventions might aid in restoration of appropriate neural organization. It identifies individuals who might benefit from implanted systems for electrical stimulation to assist with a wide variety of functions, as well as the limitations of these devices. It provides a stepwise guide for assessing motor, sensory, and functional status. It outlines the role of intensive, task-specific training to improve arm and hand function and techniques to promote locomotor function.
It offers techniques to improve ventilation for patient with tetraplegia, promote bowel and bladder health, and develop a structured exercise program to enhance physical capacity and reduce the likelihood of cardiovascular complications. It addresses tools for assessing pain status and inventions to ameliorate it. It examines, in depth, pursuits beyond basis function and mobility, including classification and training of wheelchair athletes, adaptive devices and technology for activities of daily living, as well as advanced mobility and sexuality.