Your central hub for information, support tools, and practical advice.

We have a wealth of knowledge to share with you about living with a spinal cord injury (SCI), and have pulled this together in this section to help you access the information you need, when you need it.

Sexuality and relationships after spinal cord injury

Learn about intimacy, sex, dating, long-term relationships, parenting and family life for people with a spinal cord injury.

Fertility following spinal cord injury: Information for health professionals

There have been many medical advances over the years that have helped people with SCI have children. This document provides...

Female sexuality after spinal cord injury

After a sci, many individuals may experience some loss of sexual function at or below the level of their injury....

To stoma or not to stoma

Ian Douglas shares how getting a colostomy earlier in the year has dramatically improved his life, freeing him from a...

Life with spinal cord injury

New Mobility asked four wheelchair users at different points in their SCI journeys to reflect on where they are and...

I Am More Than My Disability SCIAW 2022

It's Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Week in Australia, and SCIA is celebrating it by telling people we are more than...

Everyone will experience ageing, no doubt, but for people with spinal cord injuries, ageing may involve some other health and lifestyle issues.

Ageing and spinal cord injury

The life expectancy of people with spinal cord injuries in the last 20 years has significantly improved. However, the wear and tear and general effects of a spinal cord injury will change our lifestyle and health practices, contributing to a long, happy, healthy life.

What do you need to know?

Ageing affects everyone, but a spinal cord injury can speed up ageing. Meanwhile, individuals with spinal cord injuries face more challenges when dealing with some health issues caused by it. Therefore, first, we need to be aware of these factors and may experience:

shoulder and upper limb pain
more difficulty transferring
reduced mobility – either in your wheelchair or walking
the trouble with daily care tasks
skin problems and pressure sores
weight gain
other pain

Moreover, people with SCI have a higher incidence of the following conditions [1]:

high blood pressure
cholesterol disorders
diabetes
overweight/obesity
infections, primarily pneumonia, urinary tract infections and complications from pressure sores
bladder cancer

Concentrating preventative care on high-risk conditions specific to the SCI population is essential.

Keys to healthy ageing

Ageing never stops, but we can keep our ageing healthful with some scientific strategies, for example:

Get regular health check-ups.
Maintain a healthy lifestyle by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables and exercising to maintain weight.
Get involved in social activities to gain friendships and lessen isolation.
Use adaptive equipment appropriately and more.

In addition, we’ve had a factsheet about ageing and spinal cord injuries. Please access the page if you want to learn more information about the topic.

References

[1] Things to Know About Aging and Spinal Cord Injury (PDF). 2018. developed by the SCI Aging Special Interest Group of the SCI Model Systems.