Post on 30-Sep-2020
transcript
STA
Y
SAFE
STA
Y
SAFE
Preve
nting Spina
l Cord
Injury
SafetyPatrol
Watch Your Step
Everyone falls down
. What you may notrealize
, however, is that many spinal cordinjuries occur from simple falls
. When walkingor running
, always watch your step and lookfor hazards that may cause you to slip
, suchas a wet floor or an icysidewalk
. Never overreach when using a stepstool or ladder. Not allaccidents can beavoided
, but beingmore careful in yourdaily activities can mak
ea big difference
.
For more information please visitUnited Spinal Association’s W
eb site atwww.unitedspinal.org
or contact us at:75-20 Astoria Boulevard
Jackson Heights, NY 11370
718-803-3782e-mail: info@unitedspinal
.org
Some U
seful Resources
Think First, www.thinkfirst.org
, is an award-winning public education program of theNational Injur
y Prevention F
oundation thateducates young people about personalvulnerability and risk taking
.Its focus is
on brain injury and SCI prevention
.
Spinal Cord Injury Information Network
,www.spinalcord.uab.edu
, is a web siteof the Model SCI System at the Universityof
Alabama at
Birmingham.This site
contains resources about many aspectsof SCI
, including a section on prevention.
National Safe Kids Campaign,
www.safekids.org
, promotes safety frominjur
y for children ages 14 and underfrom a variety of causes
, includingvehicular and swimming accidents
,burns
, falls and poisoning.Its programs
are provided through 314 state andlocal SAFE KIDS coalitions
.
©2005 U
nited Spinal A
ssociation2005-0325-001/M
TM
What is Spinal Cord Injury?
Your spinal cord extends from the base ofyour brain
, all the way down your neck andthe middle of your back to your waist
. Thespinal cord is filled with ner
ves that carry
messages (called impulses) back and forthfrom all parts of your body to your brain
.
A spinal cord injury occurs when
someone suffers a traumatic injury
to their neck or back that causesso much damage to the spinalcord that some ner
ves can nolonger send messages tothe brain
.
The most common types
of injuries are caused bybruising of the spinal cord orpressure on the spinal cord
. Spinalcord injur
y may affect a person’sability to use their arms
, legs, and
other parts of their body. It may also causedifficulty breathing
, and can affect sense offeeling or touch
. The types of disability,however, var
y depending on the severityand location of the injur
y on the spinal cord.
Medical treatment and care help mostpeople with spinal cord injur
y lead full andproductive lives
.
Did You Know . . .
• Ever
y 41 minutes a person in the UnitedStates sustains a spinal cord injur
y.
• There are about 11,000 new cases ofspinal cord injur
y reported in the UnitedStates each year.
• The total number of people with spinal cordinjuries in the United States is estimated tobe 222,000 to 285,000.
• Males are more lik
ely to sustain a spinalcord injur
y and account for over 78% ofinjuries reported
.
• Reports show that most of the people whosuffer spinal cord injuries are between the
ages of 16 and 30, but the averageage at injur
y has been steadily rising.
How D
o People Get Hurt?
A recent study published by theNational Spinal Cord Injur
yStatistical Center ofBirmingham, Alabama reports
that motor vehicle accidents(50%) and falls (23.8%)account for most spinal cordinjur
y cases in the UnitedStates
. Other causes include actsof violence (11.2%) and sports (9.0%).Many of these injuries may have beenprevented if individuals took theproper safety precautions
.
Stay SafeNot many people believe they canbecome a statistic of spinal cordinjur
y; however, it happens every day.
It is important to know that spinal cordinjur
y can happen to anyone at anytime
. There are some protectivemeasures you can tak
e to avoidgetting a spinal cord injur
y:
Buckle-Up
Always mak
e sure to wear your seatbeltwhen traveling in an automobile
. Thereare approximately 6.4 millionautomobile accidents each year. TheU.S
. Department of Transportation
estimates that the typical driver willbe involved in an accident of sometype on an average of ever
y 6 years.
Automobileaccidents canoccur when you leastexpect
them, so it
’simportant to always wearyour seatbelt at all times
.
Wear Your H
elmet
Always mak
e sure to wear a helmetwhen riding on a bicycle
.Each year, over 500,000people receive bicycle-relatedinjuries
. Bicycle helmetsprotect your head in case youfall or get into an accident
.Your helmet should have a
sticker on it from the Consumer
Product Safety Commission(CPSC), certifying that it meetsgovernmental safety standards
.If your helmet doesn't have aCPSC stick
er, get one that does.
Swim Safely
When swimming, never dive into an
unfamiliar body of water or swimmingpool
. Always practice “feet first
, firsttime” to learn the depth of the water.