Hey there! I am a graduate student in Cal State Dominguez Hills' Occupational Therapy Department and my classmates and I are conducting research examining barriers to physical activity in individuals with spinal cord injury. We are hoping to use this research to advocate for greater availability of programs and facilities. We need as MANY participants as we can get so it would be much appreciated if you could take a few minutes to take our survey. Please also feel free to re-post this link and to pass it on to anyone you know with a spinal cord injury who might be interested. THANK YOU! Here’s the link to the survey… www.surveymonkey.com/s/9HPTBCW
jacqui, welcome to the forum! I did take the survey, and appreciate that you have chosen to work in a field that will help so many to maximize their lives. The issue of physical activity is a hot button for me. I worked as a lineman, climbing poles and (yes!) using my brain, too. My other job was performing as a musician. Leisure activities including training my German shepherds, hiking, kayaking, biking, and rock climbing. I would sit to read or very occasionally to watch a movie with friends--otherwise, on the move! So paralysis was a total change for me, and I fought back with a vengeance. I have a chronic and progressive disease which caused my SCI. My mobility improved greatly after injury, but my general condition is deteriorating and now again limiting my energy and ability to be as active as I would like. Just making it to work, getting groceries, doing laundry, maintaining a household, etc. takes incredible effort. I don't really have energy to spare for leisure physical activity. And scheduling such is almost impossible because I never know how my pain level will fluctuate during the day, or whether I will be able to control B&B. However, if there were a community resource for exercising with minimal risk, as I did in physical therapy following paralysis, I would make every effort to take advantage of the chance to be more active and engage with others doing the same.
wavewolf-- thank you (and everyone else who did as well!) for participating in our survey. I also thank you for sharing your story. You have had to cope with tremendous change in your life. I am glad that you are motivated to be active, despite the challenges- it's so important. The basis for this study came from our previous qualitative study (in-depth interviews with a smaller number of participants), and it became clear how important physical activities were to adapting to injury and maintaining quality of life. We are in Southern California, near a specialized gym for people with SCI and other physical disabilities called NextStep Fitness. It truly is an amazing place, but we were disappointed to learn that facilities like it are few and far between. So that inspired this study- we do want to help improve people's access to these programs.
Please feel free to share this survey with anyone you know!
Post by ladylimpsalot on May 29, 2014 15:01:26 GMT -8
Hi Jacqui, I took the survey. There was one question that asked about assistance devices. I don't use a wheelchair of any kind, but it would not take that answer. There are may who are considered disabled who ambulate with a cane, crutches or no assisting device. Thanks for doing this research!
ladylimpsalot Thanks for taking my survey! For the mobility device, there should have been a blank that you could fill in with N/A or none. Sorry if that one was unclear. I'm going to go in and check and make sure there is a blank.