This week’s fact (or rather, facts) comes from the Care Cure Community‘s Dr. Wise Young in response to the spinal cord injury question, “What can I do now to be ready for the cure?”
“The first and foremost concern of people with spinal cord injury should be to take care of their body and try to prevent muscle and bone atrophy and other changes that may preventrecovery of function. This is difficult but people need to engage in disciplined exercise that maintains their muscle and bone, take care of their skin, bladder, and bowels.
People should avoid procedures that cause irreversible loss of peripheral nerve and other functions. On the other hand, it is important to weigh the benefits of procedures such as tendon transfers which can provide greater functionality and independence for people with weak hands. Likewise, certain procedures such as Mitrofanoff and bladder augmentation to reduce bladder spasticity may provide greater independence but may not be easily reversible.
Finally, many studies have shown that people with the highest levels of education after injury are more likely to have better quality of life and health. It is important that people do not neglect their brain, the most important part of their body.”
Dr. Wise Young is the founding director of the W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience and a professor at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. He is recognized as one of the world’s top neuroscientists.