Social activity and relationship changes experienced by people with bowel and bladder dysfunction following spinal cord injury

Abstract

Tension exists between managing bowel and bladder dysfunction and the desire to participate in social activities. Multiple intersecting factors negatively affected the social relationships and activities of people with spinal cord injury and bowel and bladder dysfunction.

Global and domain-specific life satisfaction among older adults with long-term spinal cord injury

“…This is in accordance with previous findings that social contacts are negatively affected as individuals experience anxiety about bowel incontinence in public areas and intimate situations, and frustration about unreliable bowel routines. 38 In addition, it has been reported that persons with SCI who are satisfied with their bowel routine experience less limitations in professional and social life, 39 and that bowel management interferes with social life, personal relationships and the ability to leave home for recreation or work. 29 The finding that moderate and severe nociceptive pain was associated with lower satisfaction with life as a whole, leisure and somatic health is not surprising and supported by previous studies.…”

Methodology Matters: Designing a Pilot Study Guided by Indigenous Epistemologies

“…In the past, human biology focused on the physical aspects of health. Today it is clear that the interactions between and within environmental, spiritual, emotional and mental health significantly impact physical health, and vice versa (Burke et al 2016;Berger et al 2017;Braaf et al 2017). Trusting and navigating Western biomedical care generally is problematic for many Indigenous persons.…”

Neural pathways for colorectal control, relevance to spinal cord injury and treatment: a narrative review

“…It has been estimated that disturbances of bowel function occur in over 80% of people with spinal cord injury (SCI) [1]. Challenges related to living with the bowel complications of SCI include costs, emotional impact, diet, education and employment, intimacy and interpersonal relations, social participation, spontaneity and daily schedule, travel, lack of appropriate and consistent assistance, loss of autonomy (independence, privacy), lack of predictability and fear of incontinence, medical complications, pain or discomfort, physical effort of the bowel routine, physical experience, and time requirements to deal with bowel problems [2,3].…”