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The Salisbury Hospital’s Spinal Treatment Centre is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, marking the rehabilitation of several patients including Luke Orton, a rugby player who was paralysed in July 2023 during a rugby match on the Isle of Wight. While tackling an opposing player, Luke heard his neck snap, which initially sounded like he had bitten into a dry Weetabix or cracker. He then realised he had been paralysed from his waist down. Luke is undergoing physiotherapy to improve the movement and strength of his upper body, including his triceps and wrists, and maintain regular exercise to help him get on with his life.
Roxy Wilson, from Sherborne, Dorset, experienced a spinal injury that crushed her nerves while she was in the crowd watching Elton John’s set at Glastonbury. After undergoing surgery, she suffered with paralysis due to the flow of blood and oxygen. However, after consistent rehabilitation, she gained the ability to walk again, which brought a smile to her face and cheers to the hospital staff. Not everyone is so fortunate with their injury, even with a lot of physiotherapy. Patients should not be under the impression that spinal injuries only require more physiotherapy for them to regain full bodily functions, as trauma to the spine’s nervous system is irreversible.
In some cases, the healing process involves coping with the loss of life before the injury. Many patients experience a state of shock, anxiety, frustration and a range of other emotions, coupled with their physical recovery process. The Salisbury centre provides support for mental resilience alongside physiotherapy and rehabilitation. Meanwhile, Annamarie, who fell down a flight of stairs and broke three vertebrae, was initially left without any feeling below her chest. After 18 months, she regained the ability to walk with the aid of support and to move into an extra care unit in Romsey, Hampshire.
For some patients, though, recovery may just mean regaining some upper-body movement and strength, as in the case of Fearghas Powell, who fell from a 46-foot tree in Yelverton, Devon. Even with some sensation below his waist, he requires extensive rehabilitation to support movement. Meanwhile, Caroline Burson, who suffered a spinal stroke while on holiday in Cyprus, was initially paralysed from the neck down. Caroline progressed from supported walking to independent movement, and is very proud of her progress. Despite the difficulties these patients have endured, they are all testimonies to how mental resilience and rehabilitation can transform one’s life even after suffering spinal injuries.
The Salisbury Hospital’s Spinal Treatment Centre continues to provide comprehensive support for patients undergoing rehabilitation for spinal injuries, recognising that recovery involves not only physical rehabilitation but also emotional and mental resilience. They offer patients support with the healing process and help them come to terms with their conditions, whilst also providing them with practical support
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