Beyond the Diagnosis: Lived Experiences of Persons with Spinal Cord Injury in a Selected Town in Ghana

Abstract

Background Although several studies have been conducted on the lived experiences of persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) in high income countries, there is no published data on such experiences in Ghana. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of persons with SCI in the Tamale Metropolis of the Northern Region of Ghana. Material and Methods A qualitative descriptive design involving thirteen participants was conducted at the Tamale Metropolis-Ghana. A purposive sampling technique was used to recruit participants, using the Neurosurgical Unit of the Tamale Teaching Hospital as an outlet for recruitment of the sample. Data was gathered mainly through face-to-face in-depth interviews. The data was analyzed concurrently with data collection, using thematic content analysis. Ethical approval was obtained for the study from the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and the research unit of the Tamale Teaching Hospital. Results The three main themes that emerged from the data during analysis were “physical effects,” “psychological effects,” and “social issues.” Conclusion. The findings from the study suggest that SCI is a life threatening condition and that persons with SCI grapple with a myriad of physical symptoms that range from chronic pain and paralysis of lower and/or upper limbs, to bladder and bowel incontinence. These physical symptoms have significant psychological and social effects on the functioning of the affected persons.

Secondary health conditions and their impact on the wellbeing of people with spinal cord injury, South Africa: Patients perspective.

“…Similar to other studies on SHCs, pain, bowel and bladder problems were the most common complications experienced by people with SCI (21,25). A study by Piatt et al (35) described problematic secondary health conditions among adults with SCI and the impact on social participation and daily life.…”

“…Secondary health conditions have been reported to limit the quality of life (17,19); health (20); participation at work (21); social life (22) and to be a barrier to selfmanagement (23). There are many studies that have explored lived experiences of SCI (21,24,25) and unmet care needs (24)(25)(26). However, the focus on the experiences of SHCs and their impact on wellbeing is limited.…”

The Experiences of Individuals With Cervical Spinal Cord Injury and Their Family During Post-injury Care in Non-Specialised and Specialised Units in UK

“…spinal cord injury and identi ed a dependence on information, guidance and rehabilitation provided to them during their hospital rehabilitation period (26)(27)(28)(29). There is little information from the UK on the post-injury experiences of patients and families in different care settings and the impact of the transition between them.…”

The experiences of individuals with cervical spinal cord injury and their family during post-injury care in non-specialised and specialised units in UK

“…Studies in a number of countries have focused on successful community adaptation of individuals post-spinal cord injury and identified a dependence on information, guidance and rehabilitation provided to them during their hospital rehabilitation period [26][27][28][29]. There is little information from the UK on the post-injury experiences of patients and families in different care settings and the impact of the transition between them.…”