September is Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month. By increasing awareness and educating the public on the challenges and realities of life with a spinal cord injury (SCI), this event helps encourage stronger communities and networks of support. With sponsor United Spinal Association celebrating its 75th anniversary, 2023 is an especially important opportunity to support their mission of empowering and advocating for people with SCIs to achieve the best quality of life.

Spinal cord injuries in the workplace—functional and behavioral factors
Spinal cord injuries are life-changing events affecting thousands of people each year. According to the United Spinal Association:

• Approximately 17,700 Americans suffer an SCI annually.
• About 78% of people diagnosed are men, with an average age of 43.
• The most common causes of SCI are vehicle accidents, falls, violence, sports, and medical-related incidents.
• Mental health is a major concern, with depression affecting up to 37% of people with SCIs. Patients should always seek help from qualified mental health professionals with experience in physical disability.

Because SCIs are frequently diagnosed in workers experiencing serious injuries on the job, Paradigm emphasizes care management for severe and catastrophic spinal cord cases, including integrated behavioral health support. In addition to comprehensive medical and functional rehabilitation management, Paradigm Management Teams include behavioral health professionals with the training and experience to provide resources and coping strategies for injured workers and their families. These experts are available to every injured patient. They provide day-one assessments and design care plans calibrated for positive adjustment—which are designed to help those who have suffered an SCI overcome recovery barriers.

SCI clinical spotlight: Dr. Frederick Frost
Paradigm Medical Director Frederick S. Frost, MD is one of many examples of the clinical expertise and support available for catastrophically injured workers with SCIs. As a spinal cord clinician for more than three decades, Dr. Frost is a board-certified specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation and a leader in his field. In addition to authoring and receiving major grants for rehabilitation research, Dr. Frost led the development of the Northeast Ohio Regional Spinal System at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland.

At Paradigm, Dr. Frost works to guide Paradigm Management Teams toward evidence-based outcomes for workers with spinal cord injuries, based on years of hands-on experience and decades of relevant clinical data. Along with his colleagues and other clinical experts, Dr. Frost helps ensure these people and their families receive the right care at the right time, from post-acute care to rehabilitation, all the way to home care and reintegration within their community.

A life-changing outcome for a catastrophic spinal cord injury
Every day, the medical and behavioral experts at Paradigm help injured workers with the most serious SCIs achieve positive results from the most challenging circumstances. In one shining example, a Paradigm Management Team assisted a 22-year-old counter worker at a donut shop who sustained a traumatic spinal cord injury from a gunshot wound to the face and neck. Her initial diagnosis involved complete SCI with no movement in her legs, requiring the use of a wheelchair.

With the help of her Paradigm Network Manager and the larger Paradigm Management Team, the injured patient and her family received critical education on her condition and options for rehabilitation. After extensive physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and instruction on using a motorized wheelchair, she made significant gains in functional mobility and independence. After a thorough home evaluation and caregiving instruction and support for family members, this injured patient was released to her home and is working to reintegrate fully into her community.

Help Paradigm raise awareness for Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month
Throughout September, please help Paradigm spread the word on this fantastic cause by sharing facts, resources, and inspiring stories from the United Spinal Association on your social media pages with the hashtags #UnitedSpinal #WeRollUnited #SCIAwareness.

Learn more about Paradigm’s Catastrophic and Risk Solutions and Case Management.