10 replies to this topic

[physicaltherapystudent]

I am a physical therapy student seeking feedback from SCI patients on how to best assist you in your recovery with regards to coping and adjustment to your injury. Any suggestions/tips would be greatly appreciated. I would also like to know any ways you think a physical therapist could be involved in this specific forum.

Thank you for your time,
Physical Therapy Student from Texas

[greybeard]

I don't mean to sound abrupt but most of the information you are seeking about the condition is already contained in the message board archives. If you haven't already found it, there is a "search" button, top right, to aid your research.

A PT's involvement in the forum would, I'm sure, be welcomed - provided that any advice given was based on considerable experience of dealing with specifically SCI patients. To be honest, you are more likely to find that medical folks come here to find answers, rather than the other way round.

[Parachute]

physicaltherapystudent, on Apr 6 2010, 01:27 PM, said:

I am a physical therapy student seeking feedback from SCI patients on how to best assist you in your recovery with regards to coping and adjustment to your injury. Any suggestions/tips would be greatly appreciated. I would also like to know any ways you think a physical therapist could be involved in this specific forum.

Thank you for your time,
Physical Therapy Student from Texas

You would be better off asking another physicaltherapist really. My needs are different to most spinal cord injured people. I am C3-4 incomplete. If I was C3-4 complete, I would still be getting feed, not feeling ANYTHING, like I did not for some time. I would have a catheter and someone would have to still wipe my bum. Every single level injury is different. My physical treatment is way different to when I was on bed rest or using a wheelchair or when I was beginning to walk again.

Good luck in finding your answers though. If you lived near me, I would have taking you on to a Spinal Unit, to have a look.

[Illinois Boy]

By letting me give her a mustache ride...........

Might help us both.......

Jim

[ericr]

Dont talk about recovery and what you have seen in the past or what you were taught. it does not matter because every recovery is different and as you see on here many have defeated the odds and what is thought to be your level of injury. Always support the person never never say you have no hope or your not going to do something because if the day comes you will be eating your words.
In the US your trained to cope and live with sci and basically are written off for a recovery but to me and many others this unnacceptable. not saying we think we will walk but we want to stay positive and try as hard as we can andd keep hope alive.

reason for my harsh response is because of a so called physical therapist with 20+ yrs exp who said if you dont walk or move your legs in 6 months it will never happen. well im 10 months both legs are moving and besides swelling takes 2 yrs to go away. i have seen people get recovery after 10+ yrs injured.

good luck and remember that and u will go a long way

[Texas Angel Ang]

I see you are from Houston... what rehab facility are you at??

[edlee]

As you've seen,, each of us needs something different,, because each of us is different, even apart from our injuries. Eric wants one thing,, I want another. And then there's everyone in between.

The best you can do is get them to spend time talking to others with SCIs.. either in person or on a forum like this.
ed

[rue2you]

Just answer their questions. Thoroughly. I have learned more from my PT than I have any doctor or neuro. Be supportive but don't sugar coat. Keep it realistic. Give them info on where they can get involved with other people. Remember, this is all brand new to them. You will be working around SCI people in your career but this is a strange new world to them and they don't know anything about it - from the simplest little things. Don't lose perspective and assume they know and then make them feel stupid for not realizing something. Be sensitive to each person and treat them as a person - not a project.

Just answer their questions. Thoroughly. I have learned more from my PT than I have any doctor or neuro. Be supportive but don't sugar coat. Keep it realistic. Give them info on where they can get involved with other people. Remember, this is all brand new to them. You will be working around SCI people in your career but this is a strange new world to them and they don't know anything about it - from the simplest little things. Don't lose perspective and assume they know and then make them feel stupid for not realizing something. Be sensitive to each person and treat them as a person - not a project.

[Soryfam]

Be supportive and encouraging, even when they're having a bad day. My home occupational therapist was awesome in that he would have things he wanted to work on, but then always asked what I wanted to do or learn. He made his visits like a game in which he always wondered what new task I wanted to master. I will be forever grateful that he made them fun, not a drag.
The physical therapist from home care was excellent also. He really knew his stuff, plus he was willing to talk about injuries, possibilities and sometimes just life in general so that my whole life wasn't all about being injured-- to him I was a person, not a job.
I had a wonderful PT that I went to for many months. She was tough, but fun, and told me when I was messing up. Still, we set goals and reached them as a team. On the few occasions when she had a sub working for her I noticed a huge difference. They weren't prepared with what to work on and it felt like I was just putting in time to get the hour to pass. Often they would allow themselves to be distracted by phone calls or co workers which made me feel like I was wasting their time and mine. I guess I'm trying to say is to never forget that your client is a person, an individual who needs more than just rote exercises.

As far as being on this site, I think by following the threads it will give you insight into where our heads are at.

Sandy

[jscott92064]

It's okay to be silent and just listen. Sometimes people just want to be heard as they are going through their journey.

I'm with EricR --his response to you was spot on.

[BillS]

Don't be afraid to kick butt sometimes. Yea it's tougher for us to do some things but it isn't going to become easier without hard work. So when we whine about how hard it is just tell us to keep going. Don't let us guilt you into letting us do less then what we are capable of.