Quadriplegia is a condition that is typically the result of an accident that has resulted in a spinal cord injury. Quadriplegics suffer some form of paralysis in both the arms and legs, which may vary in severity depending on where along the spine...
Quadriplegia, also known as tertraplegia, refers to a spinal cord injury above the first thoracic vertebra or neck, resulting in paralysis in all four limbs. In addition to paralysis of the arms and legs, the chest and abdominal muscles are also...
The effects of gravity and muscle imbalances can lead to tight joints and muscles, making life in a wheelchair difficult and increasing the risk of health complications. They can also lead to dysfunction that may interfere with regaining movement...
An injury to the spinal cord can have permanent consequences. The spinal cord and brain are the most important parts of the central nervous system. The result of these injuries may be paralysis, which permanently affects the ability to move....
Quadriplegia, also known as tetraplegia, is impairment to the structures below the neck as the result of a spinal cord injury. Impairment may involve weakness in the limbs, partial or total paralysis and difficulty controlling bodily functions....
Almost anything is possible for athletes in wheelchairs, including wheelchair water skiing. Access wheelchair water skiing by having the proper equipment. Athletes who are paraplegic and quadriplegic need an adapted ski to access the sport. Learn...
A glorious swan dive off a diving board may be beautiful enough to blow your mind, but some people may also think it has a high potential of blowing your back into paralysis. While diving board injuries are a reality, they may not be as common as...
Spinal cord injuries are classified according to the site, or level of injury, and as complete or incomplete. Complete, means there is absence of all motor, sensory and vasomotor function below the level injury. Incomplete, means there is presence...
Wheelchair curling is a popular sport among athletes in wheelchairs and is gaining in popularity. Much like traditional competitive curling, athletes push granite donuts down the ice toward a target and aim to get closer to the target than their...
According to the International Wheelchair Rugby Federation, "murderball" was wheelchair rugby's original appellation when Canadian quadriplegics invented a game in 1977 that did not rely on hands and arms as much as wheelchair basketball does. In...
Aside from physical therapy, which can help with rehabilitation and muscle strength, doctors may recommend patients suffering from quadriplegia undergo a series of additional treatments. With ongoing help from different modalities, patients can...
Also known as quad rugby, wheelchair rugby is a co-ed contact sport performed at the world Paralympic Games. The game is a blend of several sports, including basketball and handball. A volleyball is the ball used, and teams consist of four players...
Physiotherapy is a treatment modality that promotes, restores and maintains your physical, psychological and emotional well-being. Athletes and other individuals utilize physiotherapy after injury and surgery to help regain function and strength...
To keep your lungs healthy, all you need to do is take a deep breath and hold it for three to five seconds or simply yawn and sigh occasionally. After having chest, back or abdominal surgery or general anesthesia, patients find these basic...
The physical limitations on work activities after a spinal cord injury can vary widely, depending on the location and severity of the injury. While some people can retain full functionality after healing from a spinal cord injury, others...
The need for fitness is universal and applies to people with disabilities -- including those with spinal cord injuries. People with limited mobility engage in exercise for the usual reasons: to improve fitness, lose weight, strengthen muscles and...
The central nervous system is made up of the brain and spinal cord, and it works with the peripheral nervous system to receive, translate and respond to stimuli. Between the two systems, almost every function performed by the human body is...
To lose weight, you must consume fewer calories than you burn through activity. If you are unable to walk, you cannot burn calories doing cardio exercise -- exercise that uses the large muscles in your lower body. But you don't have to do...
Practitioners use electrical muscle stimulation, or EMS, to treat and rehabilitate muscular injuries. By sending a low-frequency electrical current to the afflicted area, EMS can provide pain relief and help regenerate muscle tissue. EMS is also...
Exercise is not only a useful tool to help keep excess weight at bay, it also improves cardiovascular health, keeps you healthy and strong and wards off depression. People with disabilities need to exercise just as much as people without a...
Rhizotomy is a neurosurgical procedure that is performed on the spinal cord of patients with spastic cerebral palsy, an abnormality in the motor tone and function present at birth which causes a rigid posture. Based on a study published by the...
When the spinal cord is damaged, many problems can result, including movement and sensation impairments below the level of injury. People with spinal cord damage are more prone to medical issues than the average person, including pressure sores...
A diagnosis of spinal cord injury, including paraplegia and quadriplegia, often brings to mind an image of a person in a wheelchair. However, a spinal cord injury does not necessarily keep a person from walking. In fact, many people with spinal...
Wheelchair athletics have been traced back to the years following World War II when disabled war veterans began organizing amateur sports leagues. Today, wheelchair athletes have an opportunity to compete with other disabled athletes in...
Ingenuity on the part of bike technicians has allowed people with a variety of disabilities to still enjoy cycling. Specially designed bikes, or adaptive bikes, offer freedom and mobility to people with disabilities, helping them combat a...
The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation reports that nearly 6 million people are living with paralysis. Paralysis occurs when a group of muscles fails to move on its own. Stroke, spinal cord and nerve injuries are some of the primary causes of...
Play a game of hoops from a wheelchair. Learn tips and techniques for playing wheelchair basketball in this adaptive sports video.