Healthy Aging with Spinal Cord Injury

Aging, like other process along the path of life affects everyone. However, aging encompasses almost all other life processes which makes it's knowledge very important especially in people living disabilities.

Aging healthfully is very important in patients with spinal cord injury as aging tends to set in earlier in earlier than in the population without the injury. Aging is a complex life process related to various variables such as environmental, psychological, physical and lifestyle factors.

Generally, body systems lose their functionalities with age. The degree of this loss however vary with each person. Aging in patients with spinal cord injury is based on some factors including;

• Level and severity of injury
• Age at injury
• Family health history
• Lifestyle behaviors; activity levels, smoking, alcohol use  and diet
• Access to community services and social supports.

Aging in patients with spinal cord injury, just like population without the injury is related to the various factors such as cardiovascular, metabolic, pulmonary, skin, bowel and bladder changes among others.

There can be an overall healthful aging after spinal cord injury by;