If you have more than one pain problem, please dowload the additional pages of the questionnaire and repeat these questions for your 2nd and 3rd worst. Anatomy, careers, and injury prevention student workbook dear students, you are about to embark on a fascinating and sometimes emotional journey to learn about what life is like for young people and their families after they have a brain or spinal cord injury. Spinal cord injury occurs when there is any damage to the spinal cord that blocks communication between the brain and the body. Pain after sci can occur in parts of the body where there is normal sensation feel ing. This video, developed by shepherd center, uses simple language and images of real people who have sustained a spinal cord injury, as well as medical experts and advocates. The prevalence of pain in these conditions is alarmingly high. Spinal cord injury occurs when there is any damage to the spinal cord that blocks communication. Or messages from the brain go to the body by way of the spinal cord to create movement. Motor function preserved below neurological level and at least half of muscles have better than grade 35 function e. Normal motor and sensory function but asia grade e does not describe pain, spasticity and dysesthesia that may result from spinal cord injury. Pain can sometimes come and go without any clear cause.
The pain is very real and can have a negative impact on quality of life. Pain after spinal cord injury spinal cord injury model systems consumer information people often use words such as burning, stabbing or tingling to describe neuropathic pain, but neuropathic pain varies a great deal from person to person. A spinal cord injury at the neck level may impair a persons breathing and paralyze arms, legs, and trunk quadraplegia. The spinal cord is about 18 inches in length 1 12 feet long. Pain after sci can occur in parts of the body where there is normal sensation feeling as well as areas that have little or no feeling. In a 3 study carried out in zimbabwe pain was a prominent feature in the lives of many traumatic spinal cord injured patients of which 77% of reported the presence of pain. Spinal cord stimulation for the management of pain. After a spinal cord injury, a persons sensory, motor and reflex messages are affected and may not be able to get past the damage in the spinal cord.
Basic facts spinal cord injury occurs when there is any damage to the spinal cord that blocks communication between the brain and the body. Bowel function after spinal cord injury march 2015 sci fact sheet. In spinal cord injury sci patients, chronic pain is common. American spinal injury association asia classification d. Pain following spinal cord injury has been reported in many studies 59. It impacts about 70% of patients with onethird of these experiencing severely intense pain impacting on mood, functioning, and quality of life. Spinal cord injury and chronic pain bja education oxford academic. The spine should be assessed and cleared when appropriate, given the injury characteristics and physiological state 3. Pain after spinal cord injury university of washington.
International standards for the neurological classification of spinal cord injury health screening questions. Pain after sci can occur in parts of the body where there is normal sensation feel ing as well as areas that have little or no feeling. Spinal immobilization is a priority in multiple trauma, spinal clearance is not 2. National spinal cord injury statistical center, university of alabama at. Spinal cord injury ministry of health knowledge management portal. This is a new pain pain in a new location or pain that has new characteristics this is a significant flare up or worsening of an existing pain. Paramedics must have a high index of suspicion of spinal injury in patients with significant injury above the clavicles especially if unconscious and in elderly patients. It can ensure the person experiencing pain and their family dont panic if there is a flare up. Pdf clinical management of spinal cord injury sci has significantly improved its general prognosis. This article has been cited by other articles in pmc. It is strategically aimed to reduce the unpleasant sensory experience of pain and the.
Spinal cord injury sci is an injury to the spinal cord that leads to varying degrees of motor andor sensory deficits and paralysis. Pain is a serious problem for many people with spinal cord injuries sci. Management of neuropathic pain associated with spinal cord. In the case where a personal with sci does have pain, there are treatments available that may be able to help.
An analysis of pain following traumatic spinal cord injury. Spinal cord stimulation scs is a theoretically principled treatment with a substantial and supportive evidence base that has been used for the treatment of pain since 1967. In the table below tick all that apply to your current pain problem. Pain can be caused by physical trauma, or it can come from changes that happen in your body after an injury. This fact sheet tells you about why a bowel program can make your quality of life better. Remember pain doesnt always mean harm particularly when experiencing pain from a spinal cord injury. Understanding spinal cord injury what you should know about spinal cord injury and recovery. After a spinal cord injury, people can experience many different types of pain. Imaging the spine does not take precedence over life saving diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
A multidisciplinary approach to the management is recommended. What the spinal cord injury consumer needs to know. Principles of treatment for neuropathic pain in sci patients are similar to those. Education is crucial to all pain management programs. This can occur following local damage to inhibitory neurons or with interruption to inhibitory pathways descending from the brain to the spinal cord. Pain management following spinal cord injury for health. What you need to know your spinal cord injury may affect your ability to move waste through your colon large intestine you may not be able to control your bowel movements. Regional spinal cord injury center of the delaware valley spinal cord injury manual. Pain is a common problem following spinal cord injury sci. Pain management following spinal cord injury sci for health professionals. Damage to the spinal cord also results in damage to the normal inhibitory mechanisms that serve to block out pain. Managing pain for adults with spinal cord injury 3 managing pain following spinal cord injury pain is a common complication after spinal cord injury sci, which can significantly impact upon a persons functional ability and independence, psychological wellbeing, ability to return to work and quality of life.