
What type of things most commonly cause a spinal cord injury?
Compile a quick list for me in your head. I’ll wait. I remember being asked this question when I was a student. Most of the common answers included gunshot wounds, car accidents, jumping into shallow water, and sports related injuries.
I remember being very surprised when I was told that the #1 cause of spinal cord injuries is falls. It was almost as surprised when I later went to verify that information, only to find that, no, falls are actually the #2 cause of spinal cord injuries (motor vehicle accidents actually take the cake), but I’ll save my discussion on the importance of fact checking for a later date and time. Thing is, falls being the #2 cause means that a whole lot of spinal cord injuries (over 30%!) are being caused by falls.
Unfortunately, spinal cord injuries aren’t the only nasty thing that can result from a fall. Hip fractures are also an incredibly common byproduct. While the pain and functional implications of a broken hip are bad enough, the mortality rates for older individuals are drastically higher than they are for those that haven’t (the cause of death may be directly related to the fracture itself, or caused by some related issue such as bed sores, pneumonia, or a blood clot, to mention just a few).
In an ideal situation, people should seek to address balance issues when they first notice them, as opposed to after already experiencing a fall. When you address balance issues proactively, not only is the person involved starting care without an injury already present - they’re also going to have a lot less fearfulness in addition to less substantial limitations in strength and movement ability. This means that people typically are able to get what they need much faster and with better outcomes.
But when is it appropriate? Balance loss tends to be one of those things that develops very gradually over time, and can be a little hard to notice at first. But here are a few things to look out for: - Have you started to limit doing activities that you like doing due to unsteadiness? (Golfing, long walks, etc?) - Do you regularly hold onto furniture or other items as you walk around for extra support? - Have you been experiencing ‘near misses?’ (stumbles, tripping, etc.) - Family or friends have started to urge you to use an assistive device, such as a cane or walker?
- Do you find that you gravitate towards looking at the floor when you walk? When in doubt, it never hurts to have your balance checked out. If the problem is mild, the solutions should not be extremely time consuming or complicated, but the benefits can be incredible.
Are you or somebody you love experiencing issues with their balance, with or without a fall? We would love to see how we can help. Get in touch via phone at (239) 232-8155, or send an email to contact@serendipityptw.com.
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