A spinal cord injury can be a life-changing event that no one is ever prepared for. Medical science has learned a great deal about how to treat the short-term consequences of a spinal cord injury. In the longer term, the imperative is to recover whatever function can be recovered through focusing on rehabilitation. Assistive technology can help to compensate for function that cannot be recovered. By preventing complications and striving for health, individuals can expect to enjoy good quality and length of life.

The mindset, attitudes and beliefs of the injured person and those around them will have a great impact on their potential for recovery, but there are limits to how far ‘belief’ will take them. Just believing that something is possible is not enough to make it so. We live in an age when technology, therapy and medical science can help individuals recover more function or at least remain healthier than would have seemed impossible just a few years ago. Whilst there is no cure yet for spinal cord injury, this no longer seems an impossible dream.

Every spinal cord-injured person faces a different challenge as they essentially have injuries with somewhat different characteristics. To deal with this, medical science has sought to find a way to classify spinal cord injuries in a way that helps to guide treatment, and to some extent, define the expectations for recovery. This article examines how spinal cord injuries are classified.

This is a guest post by Chris Wynne from our partners at The Rehab Physio in the Wirral. Their excellent facilities provide intensive physical rehabilitation services and in this post, Chris explains something of their philosophy.

Neurological physiotherapy acknowledges a simple fact: the human body is an amazing thing with the ability to adapt to the changes we put upon it.

With the right physiotherapy skills, technology and techniques, we can help the body to find ways to help patients with a range of neurological conditions including spinal cord injury, stroke, brain injury and Cerebral Palsy to restore function, independence and quality of life.

A spinal cord injury is a life-altering event that can happen to anyone, anywhere, and at any time. It can occur due to a wide variety of reasons, such as accidents, falls, sports injuries, or medical conditions.

The severity of a spinal cord injury varies greatly and each person, even with what can seem to be similar injuries, can have different symptoms and functional outcomes. As part of the clinical approach to understanding and managing such injuries, a system of classification has been developed.

When people are injured, they are often told that they have damage to specific bony vertebrae and the cord itself at a given level, along with a further qualifier suggesting the severity of the injury, typically as a ‘complete’ or ‘incomplete’ injury. But what do these terms mean, and what is their significance?

So, let's dive in and discover what you need to know about complete vs. incomplete spinal cord injury and its effects on the nervous system.

Hand function is an essential aspect of an individual’s daily life. It allows people to perform various activities such as writing, grasping objects, and gestures. However, many factors can disrupt hand function such as physical injury, nerve damage, stroke, spinal cord injury and more. Fortunately, there are several ways to regain hand function. This article will delve into the different techniques and tips on how you can regain your hand function.

Later in this article we will introduce Carbonhand. This technology, by providing support and enhancing grip strength, can help individuals regain control over their daily lives, allowing them to maintain their autonomy, social engagement, and overall well-being.

If you or someone close to you is living with transverse myelitis, then you know how life-altering this neurological condition can be. It often results in sudden symptoms, such as muscle weakness, pain and bladder dysfunction. It has several possible causes. Some people recover from the symptoms and resulting complications of transverse myelitis, while others don’t.

With its sudden onset and potential for long-term impact, it's important that we have the best understanding of what causes transverse myelitis and what steps, if any, can be taken to minimise the chance of another episode occurring.

In this blog post, we'll take a closer look at the underlying causes, transverse myelitis symptoms, as well as potential ways to reduce it's severity and increase quality of life through some of the technology we offer.

We have known for a very long time that the delivery of certain forms of energy, including electrical, to the tissues of the body can bring about physiological and beneficial changes in those tissues. So called electrical stimulation devices are not all the same though, as we shall discuss below.

At Anatomical Concepts we have worked with various forms of electrical stimulation technology since the 1970’s and deal with leading products including the RISE Stimulator, and the RehaMove FES Cycling system and can offer advice and demostrations on request.