What (Not) to Eat After a Spinal Cord Injury

What does food have to do with spinal cord injury one might ask. However after such an injury, a person’s metabolism can often change quite a bit. Since fewer muscles are being used, people with a spinal cord injury don’t need as many calories per day as before the injury. So, if their eating habits do not change , they may be at risk for obesity and other negative health conditions. It is necessary to avoid certain types of food after a spinal cord injury in order to help a person maintain a healthy weight. Fast foods are high on the list of what to avoid after a spinal cord injury, or SCI, as they tend to put too many calories into each meal. Eating 1200 calories in one meal, as fast foods generally contain, may be half the person’s daily intake The National Guideline Clearinghouse, states that a person with a spinal cord injury requires around 10 percent fewer calories per day than the average person. If they are severely impaired or inactive they may need even less. Avoiding the excess fat and cholesterol that these foods tend to contain is necessary. According to The Spinal Cord Injury Network people with paraplegia or quadriplegia should also limit their sodium intake to no more than 500 to 1,000 mg daily. Taking more than that may cause excess fluid retention, which can make their bodies more susceptible to negative health conditions. Too much sodium can raise blood pressure,which is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Sodium is prevalent not only in salt but also in many sauces, condiments and pre-packaged meals. It is important to read labels of such foods before ingesting them. Just like salt, SCI patients should also avoid too much sugar as they are high in calories and give no nutrition. According to The Baylor College of Medicine such foods should make up only a small part of the daily diet for those living with SCI. Included in these foods are sodas, candy, cookies and cakes. Sweetened beverages, such as juices or tea mixes, may also contain too much sugar. Likewise alcohol consumption should be limited to one drink per day for women with SCI and two for men as a maximum. Other foods for SCI patients to avoid would be chips, fried chicken, certain oils, butter and fatty meats. So much for food intake for the SCI patient but in order to strengthen the limbs and muscles of these patients the proper exercises have to take place. One of the most cost effective physical therapy solutions can be found today in the TUTOR system. It consists of motivating and challenging games that allow the patient to practice isolated and/or interjoint coordination exercises. Controlled exercise practice will help to prevent the development of compensatory movement patterns. The dedicated software allows the therapist to fully customize the exercises to the patient’s movement ability. In addition the therapist can objectively and quantitatively evaluate and report on the treatment progress. The rehabilitation system optimizes the patient’s motor, sensory and cognitive performance and allows the patient to better perform everyday functional tasks to improve their quality of life. The TUTOR system (HANDTUTOR, ARMTUTOR, LEGTUTOR and 3DTUTOR) are available for children as well as adults and are fully certified by the FDA and CE. Currently in use in leading U.S. and European hospitals the TUTORs can be used in the patient’s home through telerehabilitation. See WWW.MEDITOUCH.CO.IL for more information.