How to Manage Your Spinal Cord Injury in Arizona: Arizona is a prosperous state in the United States, with a population of more than seven million people in 2019. It has a robust economy with an unemployment rate of 5.1% during the year. The state also posted a 2.7% job growth in 2018-2019, mainly driven by its healthcare industry.
One of the growing segments in the state’s healthcare sector is medical cannabis. Experts recommend it to treat ailments like chronic pain and spinal cord injuries (SCI). However, you need to have a medical marijuana card in Arizona to buy medical cannabis legally.
Fix Your Spinal Cord Injury in Arizona
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When to Seek Medical Help for Your SCI
The National Spinal Cord Injury Association claimed an estimated 450,000 Americans are living with SCI. Also, there are around 17,000 new SCI cases in the U.S. every year. If you are an SCI sufferer, you should go to the hospital immediately if you experience one or more of the following symptoms after trauma:
- Sensation loss or tingling in your fingers, hands, toes, or feet.
- Severe pain or pressure in your head, back, or neck.
- Difficulty breathing following your injury.
- Loss of control (partial or complete) over any part of your body.
- Experience pain, pressure, and other unusual band-like sensations in your thorax.
- Abnormal lumps on your spine or head.
- Bowel or urinary urgency, retention, or incontinence.
Useful Tips in Managing Your SCI
If you suffer from SCI, you will undergo special treatment. Your doctors may include orthopedic surgeons, spinal cord medicine specialists, neurosurgeons, therapists, psychologists, nurses, and social workers with SCI expertise. Here are some potential options to manage your SCI:
- Immobilization – Movements will be detrimental for your injury, so you may need a unique bed or rigid neck collar to immobilize and support your body. These tools will also help keep your spine in proper alignment.
- Rehabilitation or therapy – Your specialists will try to maintain and strengthen your muscle functions, improve you’re fine motor skills, and introduce adaptive devices to help you in your daily activities.
- Medication – Your doctor will prescribe drugs to control the effects of your SCI. The usual prescriptions include medications to control pain and muscle spasticity.
- Medical cannabis – doctors are increasingly recommending medical marijuana to help SCI patients. It helps manage your pain, stimulate your appetite, improve your sleep, and prevent muscle spasms. You will need your medical marijuana card in Arizona to procure your cannabis supply.
- Surgery – You may undergo surgical operations immediately to stabilize the bones of your spine and prevent long-term damage to your body. Your doctor may also recommend surgery to remove bone fragments, fractured vertebrae, herniated disks, and foreign objects out of your body.
- Smart wheelchairs – This equipment will improve your comfort and mobility. Modern wheelchairs can enhance your quality of life significantly.
- Electronic assistive devices – You may use electronic aids like computers and voice recognition systems to help you live a healthy life.
- Functional electrical stimulation systems – Modern tools like electronic stimulation devices will help you control your bodily functions. These devices can control your muscles to help you walk, stand, and reach or grab objects.
SCI can be a debilitating injury with significant detrimental effects on your quality of life. You can improve your situation by using new medications, technologies, and rehabilitative therapies. Don’t forget to consult your physician before using them. If you are looking for another option to aid you in your injury, you can check this website.
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