If he is a paraplegic, his arms have to be strengthened to take over the many additional functions requiring strength and agility. He has to learn a new way of sitting, getting in and out of bed, bathing or toileting. He has to get accustomed to moving around in a wheelchair. Those who have a cervical spine injury, depending on the degree of severity, have limited ability in self-care, transfer and mobility. Those who have a lesion below the cervical spine are capable of independent self-care.
Every patient is an individual requiring a personalised rehabilitation programme.
Besides helping him to recover from his trauma, we have to understand his motivation and his ability to overcome the problems he will face. Our goal is to help him to regain maximum functions. The trauma of head injury patients, at whatever age group, is devastating. The patient on the screen is unable to eat through his mouth. He is curled up and has to be tied to his bed because of excessive spasticity.