Respiratory health after spinal cord injury
After a spinal cord injury (SCI), breathing can look different than it did before. Depending on the level of injury, respiratory function may be affected, requiring specialized care and techniques to support lung health. Whether you need ventilator management, tracheostomy care, or exercises to strengthen your breathing muscles, understanding your options is key to maintaining health and independence.
Here, we cover everything from how breathing works before and after injury to effective treatments like diaphragm pacing systems, airway clearance techniques, and equipment care. Explore strategies to protect lung function, improve respiratory strength, and navigate life with a ventilator or trach.
In this section
- Breathing treatments and exercises: Treatments and exercises to improve respiratory function.
- Cleaning equipment: Proper techniques for cleaning respiratory equipment to ensure safety and effectiveness.
- Diaphragm pacing system: How diaphragm pacing systems can help improve breathing.
- Breathing before injury: How breathing function typically works before injury and how it may change after injury.
- Suctioning techniques: Suctioning techniques for clearing airways and maintaining respiratory health.
- Tracheostomy care: Steps for caring for a tracheostomy to ensure proper airway management.
- Ventilator management: Strategies for managing ventilators to support breathing and respiratory function.