Early treatment is vital in spinal cord injuries

Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Specialist Dr. Nurhan Barutçu said that early treatment of spinal cord injuries accelerates the healing process.

Spinal cord injuries that occur as a result of unexpected events can cause serious problems in the person. In some spinal cord injuries, the communication of nerve signals between the brain and the body can be interrupted. As a result, loss of strength, sensation and reflexes in the arms and legs, and loss of function in the bladder and intestines in the body can be seen. Dr. Nurhan Barutçu, Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Specialist at Eskişehir Fizyomer Terapia Estetica Denta Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Medical Center, gave information about spinal cord injuries.

“Physical therapy and rehabilitation should be started quickly”

Speaking about how injuries occur, Barutçu said, “Spinal cord injuries usually occur as a result of sudden and unexpected events. These are situations such as traffic accidents, falling from a height, weapons and sports injuries. Physical therapy and rehabilitation are very important in spinal cord injuries. Symptoms of spinal cord injuries vary depending on the location and severity of the injury. If the spinal cord injury is in the neck region, it can cause serious loss of function in the whole body. However, if it occurs in the back-lumbar region, it may only affect the legs. Spinal cord injuries usually require surgery. If surgery is not necessary, physical therapy and rehabilitation should be started quickly. Patients who apply to physical therapy and rehabilitation are first examined in detail. Afterwards, the current condition of the patient is determined according to the lesion, its severity and location. A personalized physical therapy and rehabilitation program is prepared. It can be seen mostly in cases such as falling from a height, motorcycle and traffic accidents. Therefore, since young people are more active in life, it affects them more. In general, children who buckle up in traffic accidents and sit in the car control seat have less damage. Therefore, we need to pay special attention to safety precautions.”

“Physical therapy accelerates the healing process of patients”

Prof. Dr. Nurhan Barutçu said the following about the treatment process after spinal cord injuries:

“The treatment process in spinal cord injuries is determined according to the individual needs of the patient and is managed with multidisciplinary approaches. Technological rehabilitation methods are used in spinal cord injury. Methods such as joint range of motion, strengthening, stretching exercises, robotic walking, robotic hand-arm, balance training with virtual reality, hydrotherapy are used. The aim of these methods is to enable the patient to be independent in activities of daily living and to improve the patient's quality of life. Physical therapy is indispensable for patients with spinal cord injuries. Early physical therapy accelerates the healing process of patients. Patients should be patient during the recovery process and continue their treatment regularly. The healing process varies from person to person, it is different for each patient. Four important factors are necessary for successful recovery. These four elements are the patient's own motivation, family support, technological support and a professional team. When these four elements are completed, the patient reaches the maximum level of recovery.”