Article

With medical and rehabilitation advances, many people are able to
regain or maintain ambulation after spinal cord injury (SCI). However, those who
are ambulatory may be at increased risk for falls. OBJECTIVE: To assess the
relationships between walking devices and behaviors, including alcohol use,
prescription medication use, and exercise, with falls among persons with SCI who
are ambulatory. METHODS: A total of 515 adults with chronic SCI who were able to
ambulate provided self-report of their use of assistive devices for ambulation,
prescription medication use, alcohol use, exercise, and falls resulting in injury
(FRI). RESULTS: At least 1 FRI was reported by 20.3% of participants in the past
year. Ambulatory participants who reported using a wheelchair as their primary
mode of mobility were less likely to have an FRI than those who reported walking
more than using a wheelchair. Those with perceived poor balance were 2.41 times
more likely to have an FRI than those without poor balance. Those who reported
less exercise than other persons with a comparable SCI severity were 2.77 times
more likely to have an FRI than those reporting the same or more amount of
exercise. Pain medication misuse also was associated with higher odds of an FRI.
CONCLUSIONS: Health care providers should be aware of the risk for FRI among
those who are ambulatory. They should assess and consider not only ambulatory
ability, but also behaviors, including prescription medication use and exercise,
when recommending ambulation techniques.

Langue : ANGLAIS