Every eight hours someone is paralysed by Spinal Cord Injury. It can happen to anyone at any time and no one is prepared for how it will change their life.

Today, we’re marking Spinal Cord Injuries Awareness Day with Back Up, Spinal Injuries Association, Spinal Research, and Spinal Injuries Scotland. Between us, our five charities are working to help the 50,000 people and their families affected by Spinal Cord Injury, enabling them to lead independent and fulfilling lives, and researching treatments.

Causes of Spinal Cord Injury

The majority of spinal cord injuries are preventable such as road traffic accidents, falls and sporting injuries. Males are most at risk as young adults (20-29) and females are most at risk in adolescence.

The incidence of falls in older people causing Spinal Cord Injury is growing as the ageing population increases. Older males are most at risk over 70 and females are most at risk over 60.

Effects of Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury affects every bodily function and mental health. Many people live with long-term pain. The majority of people use a wheelchair due to paralysis, though some are able to walk.

After leaving hospital one in five spinal injury patients are forced to live in care homes for easy accessibility. This is commonly linked to 20-30% of people with spinal cord injury showing clinically significant signs of depression.

There are other implications: the worry that working, socialising, seeing friends and taking part in sport may not be possible. But with the right approach these things can happen.

How we help

Our charities work together to provide the support people with spinal cord injury need to regain their independence whether they are recently injured or have living with a spinal cord injury for years. Together our work includes:

• Advice; peer support; residential courses; sport and outdoor activities;  and outreach staff working with people as they adjust to life with a spinal cord injury
• Practical help navigating benefits and healthcare packages, finding adapted and accessible housing, applying for grants for equipment, and wheelchair skills training
• Campaigning for specialist health and care services to meet the needs of people with spinal cord injuries
• Funding research into effective treatments for spinal cord injury, working with top neuroscientists across the world
• Specialist support for children going back to school
• Courses to support people into work following injury

We want to mark Spinal Cord Injuries Awareness Day 2017 by saying a huge thank you to all our donors, fundraisers and volunteers for your continued support in transforming the lives of people paralysed by spinal cord injury.

www.aspire.org.uk / www.backuptrust.org.uk / www.spinal.co.uk / www.spinal-research.org / www.sisonline.org