Complications that may occur in those with spinal cord injuries who participate in sport

Abstract

SutntnaryThe purpose of this study was to determine the risk of developing complications in paraplegics taking part in sport. It is a retrospective study of patients with complete spinal cord injury at the spinal level of C7-cauda equina/ conus injury, and consists of 61 patients admitted to the Beitostolen Healthsportcenter, Norway.All of them had achieved satisfactory bladder/bowel function. The wheelchair dependents were all skilled in the use of the wheelchair. They participated in a training programme with an average duration of 25 days. Different activities were tried, such as weight-lzJting, pulking, swimming, volleyball, calisthenics in a group, horseback-riding, archery, tabletennis, canoeing, totalling 11 955 training hours.During the training period the following complications were observed: urinary tract infections, pressure sores, and sprains and strains. There were 30 complica tions, most of them only of minor type.The incidence of complications, expressed as number of complications/lOOO training-hours was, for urinary tract infections-0,50, pressure sores 0,42, sprains/ strains 1,33, others 0,25: in all 2,51.Sprains and strains were the most common complications, accounting for about 55 per cent of the total, all of which were successfully treated before discharge. Sport activities are an important part of the rehabilitation of the spinal cord injured and the risk of serious complications appears to be low.

Medication use by athletes during the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games

“…Athletes with disabilities did not appear to have a significantly greater overall risk of injury than their able-bodied counterparts 9 10. The prevalence of NSAID use was marginally less at the Paralympic Games (9.8%) than at the Olympic Games (11.1%) in Athens, although analgesics were used more frequently (5.6% vs 3.7%).…”

Development of the Wheelchair User's Shoulder Pain Index (WUSPI)

“…5 Researchers have reported that wheelchair users demonstrate chronic degenerative injuries to soft tissues, including impingement syndromes, rotator cuff tears, sprains, strains and avascular necrosis, as well as evidence of radiological degenerative changes in the shoulder joint. [5][6][7][8][9] The independence of wheelchair users depends on the integrity of their upper limbs.2,4 Several studies have shown that shoulder pain is a limiting factor in the daily activities of individuals with paraplegia, especially during transfers, wheelchair propulsion, reaching, lift ing, driving and loading the wheelchair into the caL2, 4,5 Many indices are available to measure generalized pain or functional impairment in individuals with chronic disabilities. 1 0-13 Roach et al developed an index to quantify shoulder pain and difficulty during func tional activities in an ambulatory population.…”

Complete inclusion of adaptive rowing only 1000 m ahead

“…Skin moisture due to sweating or exposure to water from waves and backsplashes during rowing will complete the triad of pressure, shear forces and moisture which may result in pressure sore formation. The prevention of pressure sores is vital to the wheelchair athlete27 and includes adequate cushioning and padding for the buttocks, frequent pressure relief, good nutrition and hygiene and clothing that absorb moisture 22. An athlete with a pressure sore should not be allowed to compete 7…”