ABC of SCI
The purpose of this page is to provide information on the spinal cord and how different levels of injury impact the body. The spinal cord is a very complex part of the central nervous system - ABC of SCI is covering the basics. As this site develops, we will add additional information based on participant requests. We welcome feedback! Accuracy is important. If you feel any of the information we have provided is incorrect or incomplete, please let us know. If you have any resources to add to this page, we welcome your input.
Please Note: we may include our names on these pages, everyone else will be identified as “Contributor” or “Peer” unless express permission has been given. If you have any comments or feedback on anything posted, please contact us.
Subject: Taking a Sitting Stand: The Spoon Theory
Posted: January 5, 2022
Taking a Sitting Stand: The Spoon Theory
Melanie: There are many articles and videos explaining The Spoon Theory. This is just one of them - but it's a good one. The video at the beginning tells it all. John Loeppky does a stellar job. This is important for EVERYONE to consider. It can help you to explain your energy levels to others AND it can help challenge ableist thinking.
When we have a greater understanding of what others may be going through we become better friends, partners and allies. I have decided to include this on the following pages: ABC of SCI, Mental Health and Physical Health.
John Loeppky: It's all too easy to exclude disabled people because of a sense of inconvenience, but that can leave us feeling unwanted.
Subject: Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus
Posted: January 5, 2022
Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus
Melanie: Not all spinal cord injuries are acquired, some people are born with one. Spina Bifida is a type of spinal cord injury that people can be born with. I was looking for a site that would give us an overview of Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus and came across Hydrocephalus Canada. I sent the link to Val, who is part of the SCI community and has both Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus. She took a look and said it was "an excellent jumping off point for people looking for information". We hope this is helpful.
If you have additional resources that you feel would be helpful, please let us know.
Subject: SCE Handout “Spinal Cord Injury”
Posted: April 9, 2021
SCE Handout “Spinal Cord Injury”
Wallace & Melanie: Spinal Cord Essentials has some great handouts. The “Spinal Cord Injury” document can be downloaded and answers some IMPORTANT questions on the basics. What is the Spine? What is the Spinal Cord? What is a Spinal Cord Injury? What is Your Level Injury? How Severe is Your Injury? This handout provides a basic but thorough overview of SCI and could be a perfect place to start. It is clear and concise, using plain language and informative diagrams (as shown here).
The only issue we had was with The American Spinal Injury Association’s (ASIA) impairment scale. Level “E” is labelled as “Normal” for full movement and feeling. We suggest that “Unimpaired” would be a more appropriate and inclusive description. To be clear, our “beef” is not with SCE, but the ASIA.
Subject: SCIRE Community
Posted: March 29, 2021
SCIRE Community
Wallace & Melanie: A great resource for people living with a SCI, and their family members, friends, or caregivers. In operation since 2017, SCIRE Community has developed a great deal of current SCI evidence and resources written in everyday language because we believe that the best scientific evidence should be accessible to everyone." Check out this website! For those of you who want academic language, you can link to SCIRE Professional from the top of the SCIRE Community site.
Subject: SCIRE Community “Spinal Cord Injury Basics”
Posted: March 29, 2021
SCIRE Community “Spinal Cord Injury Basics”
Wallace & Melanie: This link will take you directly to the SCIRE Community page on Spinal Cord Injury Basics. You can download it as a printable pdf or you can review the material directly on the site by expanding the topics you are interested in reading about. The basics provide us with a solid foundation to build on. The more we know, the better equipped we are to live our lives fully… moving beyond surviving an SCI to thriving with an SCI.
Again… The American Spinal Injury Association’s (ASIA) impairment scale is referenced. Level “E” is labelled as “Normal” for full movement and feeling. We suggest that “Unimpaired” would be a more appropriate and inclusive description. Again, our “beef” is not with SCIRE, but the ASIA.
Subject: Spinal Cord Essentials (SCE)
Posted: March 19, 2021
Spinal Cord Essentials (SCE)
Wallace & Melanie: Having clear and accurate information is vital when it comes to our overall health and well-being. Sometimes the information available to us is dry or overly technical - boring and confusing. Spinal Cord Essentials (SCE) provides some great resources for everyone within the spinal cord injury community, especially for those who are newly learning how to live and thrive with an SCI. Their resources are engaging and are provided in plain language with multiple languages available. Sandra Mills is the Patient and Family Educator at Toronto Rehab's Lyndhurst Centre. She has devoted her career to providing superior and current educational tools/information to those with an SCI as well as their family, friends and support people. We spoke with Sandra last night and she informed us that they will be adding some new documents for download soon! One of them is on Body Mapping. We will add a link to the Sexuality page when it is available. When you are ready, we encourage you to explore what they have to offer.
Subject: Spinal Cord Injury BC (SCIBC)
Posted: February 17, 2021
Spinal Cord Injury BC (SCIBC)
Wallace & Melanie: We had the good fortune of meeting some amazing people at SCIBC when we were in Vancouver the last time. Another great resource! They have an exceptional wealth of knowledge on all things related to sexual health and so much more. Well worth a virtual visit!
Subject: Spinal Cord Injury Ontario (SCIO)
Posted: February 17, 2021
Spinal Cord Injury Ontario (SCIO)
Wallace & Melanie: If you live in Ontario and you are looking for a wealth of resources, this is a great place to start. They have a great peer support network and they offer webinars on a lot of different topics. They also have a venue for selling and buying equipment, including accessible vehicles. There are regional offices, but they also offer a lot of online content - making it even more accessible