Neuro Note -- Life as a Quadriplegic

For this neuro note I chose to watch the video Life as a Quadriplegic. I choose this video, because I have been starting to learn more and more about quadriplega/tetraplegia and wanted to learn even more. This video describes the story of Sophia Malthus who had been riding horses since she was seven, to ultimately being thrown off one and breaking her neck at twenty years old. She was quickly diagnosed as a complete tetraplegic, meaning that there's no messages coming down from the point of injury. She broke her neck at the C4-5 vertebrae, and as a result she can't feel or have any function from about the collarbone downwards. She has partial paralysis in her arms, no hand function, and has high tone and muscle spasms in her legs which causes her muscles to be really hard to move. Since she has to sit all day she has to be wary of her pressure areas to prevent pressure sores. She has learned to strengthen the muscles that she does have and learn to use them in different ways in order to become as independent as possible. Some adaptive equipment that she has are palmar bands that she uses as a handle for everything to make things bigger. She has 24-hour carers that help her with her activities of daily living.

In this video I learned about the profession of neurological physio which is a very specialized practice area that works with spinal cord, Parkinson's, MS, and head injuries to reconnect the brain with the body. In therapy, Sophia is working on being able to perform the sliding board transfer independently. It mentions neuroplasticity which we know from our lectures is a way of rerouting brain progresses when there is damage or blockage. Another thing this video mentions is the ASIA rating scale for spinal cord injuries that is used to classify differing degrees of spinal cord injury and is used to compare and understand residual function after a spinal cord injury. Sophia was classified as ASIA A meaning that she has a complete injury with no motor or sensory function in the lowest sacral segment.

To further my learning, I reviewed my notes from class and went to the Shepard's Center website to dive deeper into this injury. I learned that spinal cord injuries tend to affect more men than women, and the majority of people who sustain a spinal cord injury are between the ages of 16 and 30 due to the increased likelihood of risky behaviors. I have also learned about the the levels of injury depending on injury site: injuries above the C4 level may require a ventiliartor for the person to breathe; C5 injuries often result in shoulder and biceps control, but no control at the wrist or hand; C6 injuries generally yield wrist control, but no hand function (Tenodesis Grip); and C7 and T1 injuries can straighten their arms, but still may have dexterity problems with the hands and fingers. A really inspirational thing Sophia states in this video is, "the injury's either gonna make you or break you. There's no point letting it break you, so I just keep going." Sophia is very strong and motivated which is important for her progression back into independence. Her humor and personality is truly a breath of fresh air to see someone with this injury be able to truly enjoy to life with this condition. "Life doesn't stop with the wheelchair. Your legs stop, but your life doesn't," I think this is a great quote to live by and as a future OT I hope I can provide this insight to my clients and help them live a fulfilling life and still have goals that they want to achieve. This is a very inspirational story and I recommend anyone interested in spinal cord injuries and tetraplegia to watch this video!

AttitudeTV. (2018, May 28). Life as A Quadriplegic: Sophia malthus. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voPlqTOdVU8