Abstract
The incidence of spinal cord injuries in industrial countries is increasing. Rehabilitation and vocational (re)training of these persons in wheelchairs is essential. This article describes a specific rehabilitation programme from the acute phase to the final goal, namely vocational integration. All members of the rehabilitation team are involved.
Highlights
The incidence o f spinal cord injuries in industrial c o u n tr ie s is increasing
In troduct io n v Few illnesses are more devastating — physically and. Damage to this vital area can result in paralysis of any or all ex tremities (The H arm arville Story, 1979)
Saltm an (1960) says that “because of their high susceptibility to disease, especially in the kidneys and bladder, of the 400 A m eri cans with spinal paralysis carried off the battlefields of World W ar I, 90 percent were dead within a year of receiving their wounds.”
Summary
The incidence o f spinal cord injuries in industrial c o u n tr ie s is increasing. Rehabilitation and vocational The pioneer work of Sir Ludwig G uttm ann at Stoke Mandeville and later of workers at Lodge Moor, Shef field, and other well established centres has dem on strated that in a great m ajority of such patients, varying degrees of recovery and good resettlement can and should be achieved (Thompson and M urray, 1967). Mortality, both early (within three m onths of injury) and late, has decreased significantly over the last 30 years. Die rehabilitasie en beroepsinskakeling van hierdie persone in rystoele raak ’n absolute noodsaaklikheid. Based on these statistics there are approximately 12 500 paraplegics and quadriplegics in South Africa (Flint, 1978)
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