Do you know how many people live with spinal cord injuries in Australia? What is the most common cause of spinal cord injury? The following statistics about spinal cord injury will show us the answers and more factors about SCI in Australia.

AlphaBeta Advisor’s report shows that approximately 20,800 Australians lived with a spinal cord injury (SCI) until 2020. Almost one-quarter (23%) of people with an SCI are under 35 years old, and the majority are under 65. Moreover, SCIs are overwhelmingly incurred by men – with approx. 70% of new incidences were reported in male patients.

Moreover, the most common cause of spinal cord injury in Australia is traumatic causes. 81% of SCIs in people under 65 results from traumatic causes, such as falls, road accidents, and sports injuries. In those over 65s, non-traumatic causes are the leading cause SCIs, such as tumours and degenerative disorders.

According to the research, spinal cord injuries cost the Australian economy $74.5bn in personal and health care, lost productivity and reduced well-being of the 20,800 Australians living with SCI – approx. $3.7bn per year. Furthermore, severe SCIs cost up to 1.5 times more than less severe cases where a person retains essential muscle function.

No cure exists for spinal cord injuries today, but new treatments could boost recovery from SCIs. Meanwhile, if successful, the cost savings from recovery are conservatively estimated to be $3.5bn, with the potential to be as high as $10.3bn if results from highly successful clinical trials are replicable. BTW, I would like to introduce NeuroMoves, our specialised, evidence-based exercise therapy service that can improve a person’s quality of life by maximising their mobility, function and independence.

The spinal cord injury statistics come from the report on the benefits of investing in new treatments by AlphaBeta Advisor. Please access the complete information if interested. We also built a factsheet that can provide more detailed spinal cord injury statistics in Australia.