2. Alan was diving off cliffs
2. Alan was diving off cliffs with his friends. He slipped as hejumped and landed his head first into the pool of water below. Ashe entered the water head first, he hit his head on a rock andsustained a spinal cord injury. Two vertebrae in his neck werefractured, and his spinal cord was permanently damaged.
d. What other things can Alan expect with this new adjustment hehas to make with his body and lifestyle?
Answer:
Ans) 2) A spinal cord injury — damage to any part of the spinalcord or nerves at the end of the spinal canal (cauda equina) —often causes permanent changes in strength, sensation and otherbody functions below the site of the injury. You might feel theeffects of your injury mentally, emotionally and socially.
– An injury to the spinal column may cause the bones around thespinal cord to break and press against the spinal cord, causingdamage to nerves. Damage to the spinal cord and nerves can happenwithout damage to the bones. .It is through these nerves that thebrain tells the body to move.
– In addition to the emotional distress experienced, problemswith adjustment can affect other areas of functioning. For example,it has been suggested that problems with adjustment are linked toself-neglect, which can in turn impact on the physical well-beingand increase the likelihood of the onset of secondarycomplications.5 Difficulties have also been linked to substanceabuse,6 which may contribute to further health problems.
– Adjustment has also been identified as important for achievinglong-term goals; individuals with lower mood levels have beenobserved to experience more difficulties in gaining employment andengaging in leisure and community activities.
– ThisThis is therefore an important area of study to betterunderstand the process of adjustment and identify possibleinterventions through which it may be facilitated.