The spine serves as the body’s and brain’s communication channel. You cannot get to your destination if a bridge or road is damaged. Similar to this, when someone suffers from spinal injury, their brain and body stop communicating with one another.
In the first year following an accident, the mortality rate is quiet high. Data articulates that 50% of people die in first year of injury. However, a person’s life expectancy can be increased with appropriate spinal cord injury rehabilitation.
As was said above, a spinal injury can sever the link between the brain and body, causing loss of function throughout the body. While some people fully recover, others are faced with permanent immobility.
If a person has a spinal injury, certain issues, such as pressure sores or blood clots, may impact them.
Symptoms of Spinal Injury
Controlling your limb is important, but how it depends entirely on where and how severely you were injured.
These classifications are for the severity known as “the completeness.”
Complete injury is the first type, where a person loses all motor abilities. That indicates that the victim lost all control below the spine.
Incomplete injury, on the other hand, affects some sensory capabilities. Depending on the damage, there may be varying degrees of immobilization.
However, in any of the cases, following are the main symptoms for spinal injury.
immobility
loss of sensation in limbs
problem with bladder control
Spasms
problem with sexual functions and sensitivity
Pain
breathlessness
coughing
difficulty in balancing
paralysis in any body part
Rehabilitation for Spinal Injury
Compared to healthy individuals, those with spinal injuries are more susceptible to health issues like obesity, excessive cholesterol, and blood sugar. Additionally, the circumstance increased their risk of contracting cardiovascular illness. All of these issues arise as a result of inactivity.
A person with a spinal injury can engage in a variety of workouts to improve their health and fitness.
There are some major benefits of Spinal injury rehabilitation are as below:
Exercise help to improves the stamina
it also help in muscles strengthening
It also increases the flexibility
it helps in mood enhancement
It also improve the sleep quality
helps in pain management
Managing healthy weight
Help to improve good cholesterol
help in managing blood sugar
managing heart health and decrease risk
Spinal Injury Rehabilitation With Virtual Reality
The patient participates in a variety of activities with the physical therapist for a set period of time in order to improve their motor abilities. The physical therapist recommends the patient to do the exercises at home for maximum effectiveness, but the majority of patients lack the drive and incentive to do so. In this case, virtual reality comes in handy.
Taking a novel and interesting approach to treatment will keep you motivated in your rehabilitation programmer. You are more likely to stay motivated if your therapy is enjoyable and enjoyable. Virtual reality rehabilitation could be exactly what you need to get you to attend to physical therapy.
Clinicians have traditionally used cognitive distraction methods to treat various types of pain. By providing a variety of fascinating activities, virtual reality offers these distraction methods a new face. These games are set in a virtual world and have a range of interactive components. While some apps provide burn victims with therapeutic virtual reality, there are more advanced approaches for limb pain management. Virtual reality (VR) is a drug-free pain management technique that can be used in both clinical and non-clinical contexts. VR is very useful at reducing pain following surgery.
In games, virtual reality is utilised to allow players to practise motions or abilities in a safe, engaging, and challenging environment. The use of virtual reality is increasing the number of motions done during a therapy session, which is predicted to improve functional and overall outcome. It also aids in the development of mobility.
When resting in bed after an injury, it’s normal to feel melancholy and unmotivated. Virtual reality has been used in cognitive behavioural therapy. This treatment assists the patient in identifying the concepts that are causing them mental distress. VR is a company that specialises in building realistic, real-time virtual worlds. This helps the patient deal with worry and sorrow.
Benefits of Rehab With VR
There are many benefits of rehab with VR that is as below.
The doctors can continuously watch the patient’s activity and make changes based on the feedback. Customization allows the patient to experience the situation in real time and acquire confidence.
Several studies have shown that patients who received VR-based spinal cord rehabilitation improved at a faster pace than patients who received standard physical therapy.
Because VR therapy may be completed at home, patients do not need to visit the therapist on a regular basis.
Virtual reality games for spinal injury therapy increase patient outcomes. With these games, they can increase their ability to perform actions such as throwing and catching. Patient could be placed in any gaming scenario where they play for either team and help them win.
The patient is continuously anxious about the potential harm caused by these workouts. However, because the environment is already controlled and built under the supervision of industry experts, the patient can overcome his fear and perform and practise the activities in the VR world with confidence.
Conclusion
Spinal injury is very tough for a patient physically as well as mentally and emotionally. However, with VR Spinal cord injury rehabilitation, a patient can have better chances to recovery.
