Thursday, July 25, 2019

There Is Lots Of Equipment For Paraplegics To Make Life Easier

By Edward Cole


Quadriplegia and paraplegia are both the result of serious injuries to the spinal cord. In the case of the former, both the lower and upper body is paralysed but in the case of the latter, patients still have the use of the arms and entire upper bodies. It is a tremendous shock to learn that one will not walk again. However, with innovative equipment for paraplegics they quickly find that they can still enjoy life to the full.

For most paraplegia patients the loss of their mobility is the biggest shock. Luckily, there is absolutely no reason why patients need to be restricted to a bed or couch any longer. There are many different types of wheelchairs and other devices designed to provide mobility to paralysed people. Access to buildings and vehicles can also be made easier by using specially designed ramps. Some are even portable.

There are also many companies that specialize in adapting existing motor vehicles so that they can be operated by people that are paralysed in the lower body. With these conversions special lifts that can load the wheelchair aboard or on the roof of the auto mobile is normally also supplied. Just about every paraplegic will agree that the ability to drive has given them back an enormous degree of freedom.

Most paralysed people do not want to be dependent upon other people. They want to do things for themselves and they want to cope with the demands of everyday life. Luckily, there are numerous products to help with this aim. Hoists and rails are designed to help patients move from a wheelchair to a bed or a couch and there are special devices that makes it much easier to get in and out of a bath.

Exercise is very important for all paralysed people. There is a great danger that unused muscles in the paralysed parts of the body will deteriorate until a serious health risk develops. Special devices are available to help these patients to exercise those muscles and to increase the flexibility of the bodies and their blood circulation in general.

Paraplegia patients have no control over the functioning of their more intimate lower body functions. This is a great source of embarrassment for most of them. However, with easy to use catheters and other aids patients can now exercise a great degree of control. This enhances their dignity and the quality of their lives. There are also many other products designed to prevent bed sores and related conditions.

It is a sad fact that many of the products and devices that can make life so much easier for a paraplegic so is expensive. Medical insurance will only cover the cost of the most basic items. It may be a good idea to look for second hand products and devices and if there is no other way out, it may even be possible to obtain help from charities that try to help paralysed people to live better lives.

It is certainly a big challenge to adapt to the fact that one is paralysed. With the right aids, however, patients can live full lives and they need not look into the eyes of others for their every need. This cost money, however and one hopes that prices will come down.




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