Getting on With Life

2011 ◽  
Vol 21 (11) ◽  
pp. 1455-1468 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleanor Weitzner ◽  
Susan Surca ◽  
Sarah Wiese ◽  
Andrea Dion ◽  
Zoe Roussos ◽  
...  

Currently, the dominant cultural beliefs toward disability are negative, and the existing literature is limited with respect to examining how people are using and/or viewing their disabilities positively. The purpose of this study was to identify how individuals living with a spinal cord injury (SCI) viewed and/or used their disability positively, and what contextual influences facilitated this positive approach. This study was a secondary analysis of qualitative data from a larger study. The findings revealed three levels at which disability was viewed and/or used positively by people with SCI: self, peers, and disability community. In addition, several aspects of the participants’ situations were found to facilitate this positive view and/or use of disability: personality, spirituality, support systems, and acceptance of one’s disability. The findings reveal that individuals with SCI are viewing and/or using their disabilities positively in many different ways. This study has significant implications for the direction of future research and for health care professionals who need to increase their advocacy and facilitating roles.

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 2016
Author(s):  
Keely A. Shaw ◽  
Gordon A. Zello ◽  
Brian Bandy ◽  
Jongbum Ko ◽  
Leandy Bertrand ◽  
...  

The use of dietary supplements is high among athletes and non-athletes alike, as well as able-bodied individuals and those with impairments. However, evidence is lacking in the use of dietary supplements for sport performance in a para-athlete population (e.g., those training for the Paralympics or similar competition). Our objective was to examine the literature regarding evidence for various sport supplements in a para-athlete population. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed, SPORTDiscus, MedLine, and Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine Source. Fifteen studies met our inclusion criteria and were included in our review. Seven varieties of supplements were investigated in the studies reviewed, including caffeine, creatine, buffering agents, fish oil, leucine, and vitamin D. The evidence for each of these supplements remains inconclusive, with varying results between studies. Limitations of research in this area include the heterogeneity of the subjects within the population regarding functionality and impairment. Very few studies included individuals with impairments other than spinal cord injury. Overall, more research is needed to strengthen the evidence for or against supplement use in para-athletes. Future research is also recommended on performance in para-athlete populations with classifiable impairments other than spinal cord injuries.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (S3) ◽  
pp. S373-S382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross Anderson ◽  
Rachel Moses ◽  
Sara Lenherr ◽  
James M. Hotaling ◽  
Jeremy Myers

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 199-206
Author(s):  
Elham Sepahvand ◽  
◽  
Hamidreza Khankeh ◽  
Mohammadali Hosseini ◽  
Behnam Akhbari ◽  
...  

Background: During traffic accidents, professional staff provide care to the patient at the scene of the accident and then transport the victim to the hospital by ambulance. But sometimes this transition is carried out by relatives and laypeople. The purpose of this study was to explore the factors affecting people’s involvement and transmission of the victims of the traffic accident. Materials and Methods: This study was done with a qualitative content analysis method in 2018. The study participants were 16 people. In this study, a purposeful sampling method with maximum diversity was used. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data using guiding questions. To observe the research ethics, the researcher, after obtaining permission from the University Ethics Committee, conducted interviews (IR.USWR.REC.1395.399). Results: In total, 15 spinal cord injury victims and their relatives or laypeople and medical emergency technicians were interviewed. The class of wrong belief of delay was the main class in all interviews. Concepts such as past experiences, the pressure time, the lack of emergency time, cultural beliefs, and the tension explaining the wrong belief concept. Conclusion: Wrong belief of delay was a concept that was extracted from the present study. It is recommended that the scene of the accident be examined in-depth and how to create a spinal cord injury in the injured with a grounded theory approach.


2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-97
Author(s):  
Donald J. Fogelberg ◽  
Natalie E. Leland ◽  
Jeanine Blanchard ◽  
Timothy J. Rich ◽  
Florence A. Clark

Poor sleep contributes to adverse health outcomes making it important to understand sleep in medically vulnerable populations, including those with spinal cord injury (SCI). However, little attention has been paid to circumstances specific to SCI that may negatively affect sleep, or to consequences of poor sleep in this population. The objective of this study was to examine the experience of sleep among individuals with SCI. Secondary analysis using thematic coding of qualitative data from an ethnographic study of community-dwelling adults with SCI was conducted. Sleep-related data were found in transcripts for 90% of the sample. Participants described diminished sleep duration and irregular sleep patterns. Several factors contributing to poor sleep were identified, including SCI-related circumstances and sleep environment. Participants also discussed how poor sleep affected occupational engagement. This study highlights the extent of sleep disturbance experienced after SCI and the subsequent impact on occupational performance, and provides direction for clinical practice.


2021 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Kubiak ◽  
Elliot Sklar

Importance: After spinal cord injury (SCI), as many as 45% of people experience at least one hospital readmission within 1 yr. Identification of feasible low-cost interventions to reduce hospital readmissions after SCI is needed. Objective: To explore whether a relationship exists between routine exercise and hospital readmission rates 1 yr after SCI. Design: We conducted a secondary analysis of data from the SCIRehab Project, a prospective cohort study. Setting: Five SCI inpatient rehabilitation facilities across the United States. Participants: Participants were people age 12 yr and older who had sustained an SCI, were admitted to a participating inpatient rehabilitation facility, completed the 12-mo postinjury interview, and reported exercising either monthly or not at all since discharge (N = 520). Outcomes and Measures: The SCIRehab Project conducted 12-mo post–inpatient rehabilitation discharge interviews. As part of the interviews, self-reported hospital readmissions and exercise frequencies since discharge (self-reported number of months, average days per week, and average minutes per day of exercise participation) were collected and analyzed. Results: A χ2 analysis determined that a significant correlation (φ = −.091, p = .038) exists between monthly exercise and hospital readmissions 1 yr postinjury. Compared with those who did not exercise, participants who exercised monthly had 8.4% fewer hospital readmissions. Conclusions and Relevance: A relationship exists between exercise and hospital readmission, but follow-up research is needed to determine whether regular exercise reduces hospital readmissions among this population. What This Article Adds: After discharge, 44% of the participants did not exercise during the first year after injury. Identifying or implementing accessible community exercise programs is an area of opportunity for occupational therapy practitioners and future researchers to explore.


2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel J. Howarth ◽  
Anser Abbas ◽  
Sheilah Hogg-Johnson ◽  
Silvano Mior

Abstract Background Chiropractors are a particular subset of health care professionals that reportedly suffer occupational musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), yet they have received minimal attention to date regarding mitigating risks of occupational injury. Our study determined the prevalence of occupationally-related MSDs in the preceding year, their bodily distribution, severity, and practice-related changes in practicing chiropractors in the province of Ontario. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey of chiropractors who were members of the Ontario Chiropractic Association (OCA) from January to March 2019. A three-part online survey was developed to ask chiropractors about specific details of MSDs they experienced in the past year and any practice-related changes they made as a result. Responses from participants provided both quantitative and qualitative data. Prevalence estimates were derived for quantitative data. Qualitative data were stratified by themes that were further divided into categories and subcategories. Demographic variables of the respondents and OCA membership were compared to determine representativeness. Results From the 432 responses (11.8% response rate), 59.1% reported experiencing an occupationally-related MSD in the past year. Survey respondents were demographically representative of the OCA membership. MSDs were most commonly reported for the lower back (38.3%), wrists/hands (38.1%) and neck (37.4%). Positioning/performing manipulation was the most common occupational activity for MSD of the upper extremity (53.1%) and lower back (34.8%). Chiropractors largely reported their MSDs did not prevent them from doing their normal work (77.4%), despite the fact that 43.2% reported experiencing their MSDs for more than 30 days in the previous year. Common reported work modifications were grouped under themes of practice and physical changes. Practice changes included reducing patient volume, hiring personnel and scheduling. Physical changes included using different office equipment, selecting different techniques requiring lower force and altering their hand contacts or body position when treating patients. Conclusions One-year prevalence of occupational MSDs from this study are comparable to previously reported estimates in chiropractors. These data suggest that chiropractors continue with their regular workload despite their MSDs, thereby increasing their chances of presenteeism. Chiropractors changing technique or technique parameters due to their MSDs provides direction for future research to reduce exposure to occupational MSD risk factors.


Spinal Cord ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Buzzell ◽  
◽  
J. D. Chamberlain ◽  
I. Eriks-Hoogland ◽  
K. Hug ◽  
...  

Abstract Study design Observational cohort study. Objective To benchmark all-cause and cause-specific mortality following NTSCI to the general population (GP). Setting Specialized rehabilitation centers in Switzerland. Methods Longitudinal data from the Swiss Spinal Cord Injury (SwiSCI) Medical Record study were probabilistically linked with cause of death (CoD) information from the Swiss National Cohort. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were estimated for all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Competing risk frameworks were used to estimate the probability of death due to specific CoD. Results One thousand five hundred and one individuals were admitted for first rehabilitation with NTSCI between 1990–2011; CoD information was available for 454 individuals of the 525 individuals that died. Overall, the mortality rate for persons with NTSCI was 1.6 times greater than that of the GP. Deaths due to cardiovascular disease (39.8%), neoplasms (22%), and infection (9.9%) were most often reported. Individuals with an SCI due to a vascular etiology indicated the greatest burden of mortality from infection compared with the GP (SMR 5.4; 95% CI, 3.1 to 9.2). Conclusions Cause-specific SMRs varied according to etiology. This supports the need for targeted clinical care and follow-up. Cardiovascular disease, neoplasms, and infection, emerged as main causes of death following NTSCI and should thus be targets for future research and differential clinical management approaches.


2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 283-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Renwick ◽  
Karen Yoshida ◽  
Elizabeth Eacrett ◽  
Natalie Rose

When in public places, many individuals with physical disabilities experience staring. Although staring is typically seen as uncomplicated and something to be “ignored,” it has consequences for the person being stared and the staree. Few studies have focused on staring experienced by men following spinal cord injury (SCI). Accordingly, this study explored how adult men with SCI give meaning to the staring from others, the consequences for them, and their responses to the staring and to the starer. Principles of modified grounded theory methods were used to conduct a secondary analysis of interview data for 30 male participants from a larger study of community-dwelling individuals with SCI. Themes revealed through analysis related to context-dependent meanings of staring, negative consequences of staring for some men, and positive opportunities for self-growth and interaction with the public. These findings contribute to a more complex understanding of staring and the relationship between the starer and staree in various social circumstances which can support people living with differences in their public interactions, and improve their quality of life.


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