Neurogenic pain is the result of failed communication between the brain and body. Lack of sensory function typically would mean you don’t feel a thing, but for people with SCI the experience of pain is still present, and for some people it can be debilitating. Nerve pain of this nature is often described as burning.
In addition to daily range of motion exercise, you can try the following to help reduce contracture. The body should sit more normally and avoid deformation.
In addition to causing uncontrolled flexing (bending) or extending (straightening) of a limb, uncontrolled jerking of the chest, back, abdomen or bladder, spasticity causes muscles to be stiff or tight at rest, which makes it hard to relax or stretch.
Our bodies cannot regulate our temperature following spinal cord injury. Sometimes we will feel cold although the climate is warm. Other times we feel hot and the climate is cold. Getting warm, or cooling off, can both be tricky.
Moving the muscles and joints through their normal range of motions will be a critical part of your daily care. Range of motion prevents contracture and spasticity. Upper level quadriplegics must practice passive range of motion daily if possible with a caregiver. For quadriplegics with some arm and hand function, a host of active range of motion...
