SPINAL CORD INJURY
“Will my child be able to walk?”
This will depend mostly on how high or
low in the back the injury is. The lower the
injury, the better the chance of walking. A
person with complete spinal cord injury in
the neck has no chance of walking. She will
need a wheelchair.
If the child’s injury is in the lower back
and if his arms are strong and he is not
too fat, there is a chance he may learn to
walk with crutches and braces. But he will
probably still need a wheelchair to go long
distances.
Many spinal cord injured persons prefer a
wheelchair to walking with braces and crutches.
However, it is best not to place too much importance on learning to walk. Many
children who do learn to walk find it so slow and tiring that they prefer using a wheel-
chair.
It probably makes sense to give most paraplegic children a chance to try walking.
However, do not make the child feel guilty if he prefers a wheelchair. Let the child
decide what is the easiest way for him to move about.
For independent living, other skills are more
important than walking, and the family and child should
place greater importance on these: skills like dressing,
bathing, getting into and out of bed, and toileting. Self-
care in toileting is especially important—and is more
difficult because of the child’s lack of bladder and
bowel control.
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“What are the hopes for my child’s future?”
The chances of a paraplegic leading a fairly normal
life are good—provided that you:
1. avoid 3 big medical risks:
• skin problems (pressure sores)
• urinary infections
A child who is paraplegic
learns to walk with a plywood
parapodium made by village
rehabilitation workers.
(PROJIMO)
• contractures (shortening of muscles, causing deformities)
(Contractures are not a danger to life but can make moving about and
doing things much more difficult.)
2. help the child to become more self-reliant:
• home training and encouragement to master basic self-help skills such as
moving about, dressing, and toileting
• education: learning of skills that make keeping a household, helping other
people, and earning a living more possible
It is more difficult for quadriplegic persons to lead a normal life because they are
more dependent on physical assistance. However, in some countries many paraplegics
and quadriplegics manage to lead full, rich lives, earn their own living, get married,
and play an important role in the community. With effort and organization, the same
possibilities can exist in all countries.
disabled village children