I found the following information online the other day and wonder why my doctor didn’t discuss this when going over my prognosis. Instead he only gave me the stat that I only have a 3% chance of ever walking again.
“AMBULATION AFTER AN INCOMPLETE INJURY
According to the Walking Index for Spinal Cord Injury, or WISCI, more than half of all spinal cord injuries are incomplete. Of incomplete quadriplegics, it estimates around 86 percent have the ability to walk again, often with physical therapy training. Functional ambulation is described by the WISCI as community-distance mobility, or around 200 feet. While many people will require the use of an assistive walking device, such as a cane, walker or leg braces, some will be able to ambulate without holding on to anything.”
Also, my doctors told me that after the 2 year mark you can pretty much give up on any additional return, but several studies show this is simply not true. I feel like this is a dangerous practice because for a lot of people this type of message makes the situation hopeless. This may cause the patient to give up, to not even try. Hopefully, these doctors will revisit the state of SCI rehabilitation and update their message to reflect the changes.
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