Aging and spinal cord injury

Abstract

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a catastrophe that affects the individual, the partner, the family and the community. Society is involved in the broader sense, in the funding of the treatment and long-term support of individuals with SCI. SCI causes complex medical, physical, psychological, social and financial interactions. Although the physiological impairment following a SCI typically affects the locomotor and sensory systems, there is nearly always a resulting dysfunction that affects most bodily systems. Both the multi-system physiological impairment/dysfunction and non-medical aspects of SCI remain in a dynamic state for the rest of the individual’s life. This means that lifelong treatment and monitoring is required by a dedicated multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary team of health and social care professionals.

Heterogeneity and Its Impact on Rehabilitation Outcomes and Interventions for Community Reintegration in People With Spinal Cord Injuries: An Integrative Review

“…48 El-Masry and Haboubi also reported in their clinical review that younger age at onset of injury and longer time since injury both appeared to be positively correlated with life adjustment, securing employment post injury, and overall social functioning. 49 However, a cross-sectional study looking at life satisfaction among older adults with long-term SCI concluded that overall life satisfaction improves as one grows or lives longer with the injury. 35 A few other cross-sectional studies also found no statistically significant positive relationship between age and time since injury with participation in activities 42,50 or community reintegration.…”