Life-Changing Mobility Aids for Spinal Cord Injury Recovery

Sustaining a spinal cord injury (SCI) can be a life-altering event but working with medical professionals, leveraging assistive technology and using mobility aids for spinal cord injury can all support you in rebuilding your life and regaining independence.

Understanding Mobility Challenges After a Spinal Cord Injury

One of the first steps on your journey following a spinal cord injury is understanding the impacts it can have on your body and mobility. Everyone’s mobility and journey is unique, particularly depending on how and where your spine has been injured, but it can cause difficulty standing or walking, reduced strength, muscle weakness, loss of feeling and coordination issues. 

Recovering from SCI can be a long, challenging and exhausting process, especially considering the effect it has on your freedom of movement. But there is support, care and mobility aids available to boost your independence.

Top Mobility Aids for Spinal Cord Injury Recovery

Mobility aids and spinal cord recovery devices play a pivotal role in your recovery and ongoing care. Using devices such as mobility scooters, wheelchairs, powerchairs and orthoses enhance your mobility, particularly when getting out and about and performing daily activities.

Wheelchairs

A wheelchair enables you to remain seated whilst manoeuvring around and can be operated independently by manually pushing the wheelchairs or can be pushed by handlebars at the back by a caregiver.

Powerchairs

Much like a wheelchair, a powerchair enables you to remain seated whilst moving about, but these are battery operated via a control or joystick on the arm of the chair. This requires no physical strength from the user to operate making it an ideal solution for those with limited upper body mobility. They are also available with increased postural support so are much more suited for prolonged use.

Mobility Scooters

A mobility scooter is also a battery powered solution providing a stable mode of transport. This is particularly ideal when venturing out of the house but can be quite tricky when navigating tighter spaces in your home. Check out our guide for using a mobility scooter for further tips and considerations.

Orthoses

Orthoses are devices such as splints and braces that are fitted externally to a specific body part to support and improve the structural function. Typically these can help with posture, walking, limb position, reducing pain, preventing falls and improving mobility. 

Improving Independence with Assistive Technology

Recent innovations within technology such as assistive technology for mobility, enables you to enhance the accessibility of your environment. Smart home devices, adapted utensils and computer assistive technology can all be benefitted to simplify daily tasks  and improve your independence.

Choosing the Right Mobility Solution for Your Needs

The best mobility solutions for your individual needs will depend on the amount of time you need to be seated,, your budget, your lifestyle, your home space and any additional mobility requirements you have. It may be that you need a combination of multiple mobility devices and these may change over time based on your recovery journey. 

It’s important that you continually consult with your team of healthcare professionals and occupational therapists as they have the specific knowledge on your injury and mobility to recommend the best solutions for you. 

We also recommend contacting specific organisations and charities such as Spinal Injuries Association and Aspire who provide detailed advice, support and have a caring community to chat with.

Mobility in Motion: Recommendations for Recovery

Utilising mobility aids for rehabilitation and within the home is one step towards regaining independence after spinal injury, but we also know that access to a car truly unlocks your freedom. It ensures you have reliable transportation to medical appointments, enables you to run errands and visit loved ones. 

We supply a wide range of vehicle adaptations that assist with getting seated in a car, safer driving and even loading and stowing a mobility device. Of course the best solution for an individuals needs is subject to a mobility assessment, but we have highlighted some of our most popular adaptations below:

Person Hoist

Person hoists offer safe and easy access from a wheelchair  into conventional vehicles via a fitted sling. This transfer method removes the requirement for a caregiver to physically lift the user as part of their transfer in or out of the vehicle.

Wheelchair Swivel Seat

A wheelchair swivel seat works in combination with a swivel base to completely transfer the car seat onto a wheelchair base, for an entire lifting-free solution.

Wheelchair Roof Box

Our wheelchair roof box solution will stow a manual wheelchair above the vehicle in a fully enclosed weatherproof box. Ideal for both independent drivers or front passengers.

Hand Controls

Car hand controls are mechanical and electronic adaptations which allow drivers who are unable to operate the foot pedals to accelerate and brake by hand.

Panoramic Mirrors

A spinal cord injury can cause limited range of motion especially in the neck, shoulders and of course back. A panoramic mirror fits over the standard rear-view mirror to offer a greater field of vision, reducing the need to turn around to check blind spots.

Seat Belt Extender

Our seat belt extenders offer an improved grip over the seat buckle and reduces the uncomfortable twisting often involved in fastening a seatbelt. 

Everyone’s recovery journey with a spinal cord injury is unique and requires a tailored approach, but utilising the right mobility aids for spinal cord injury can enhance your independence and quality of life. Our team of mobility experts can arrange a free, no-obligation mobility assessment to recommend the right vehicle adaptation solutions for your needs, simply get in touch online or call us on 0800 288 4422. 

For further advice and guidance on driving after a spinal cord injury, read our informative guide.