Functional movements with complete SCI

This section aims to give an understanding of the movement strategies people with specific levels of complete SCI use. Remember that this is a guide to what is usual for specific levels of injury but individual factors will influence what you can achieve. If you have information about how you move that you would like to share with others, please write a comment on the Forum or upload pictures in the Image Gallery.

The following headings will lead you through the information:

Key muscles:

Description of the key muscles still working at the level of injury and how they are used to perform functional movements.

Balance strategies:

Information about how balance is achieved using the available muscles.

Moving on the bed:

This includes rolling, positioning for sleeping, getting into a sitting position on the bed, moving across the bed and getting into a sitting position with legs off the bed.

Transferring:

This includes a basic transfer from bed to wheelchair but will also provide some information about the other transfers possible with certain levels of injury.

Equipment to get around:

Not just what people use to get around in their own house, but how they move around in their local neighbourhood and what they use when they want to go further from home.

Equipment to exercise:

A few ideas to try for effective exercise to maintain cardio-vascular health as well as strength and condition.