Your skin should be checked twice a day, every day. Use a mirror to check it yourself, or show someone how to check it for you. People who have had spinal cord injuries are often more susceptible to developing problems with their skin. Depending on the nature of your injury, you may have completely or partially lost skin sensation in certain parts of your body. This, combined with other factors such as a reduction in circulation, muscle wasting, muscle spasm, loss of movement or poor nutrition mean that you are at a greater risk of developing a pressure sore.
Pressure sores are a serious complication of spinal cord injury.
In most cases, they are preventable. Pressure sores usually begin as a reddened area. If left unchecked, a red area can turn into a significant pressure sore in a relatively short space of time. Depending on the size and depth, pressure sores may take weeks or months to heal. In some cases, surgery is required for the sore to heal effectively.