Understanding SCI

SCI is a complex and heterogeneous condition. This means no two injuries are alike. Praxis works with its global network to find the best treatments and solutions to improve the health of people with SCI.

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Living With SCI  |  Understanding SCI

How SCI Occurs

A spinal cord injury occurs when trauma (such as a fall or vehicle accident) or disease (such as a tumor or spina bifida) damages the spinal cord, resulting in loss of sensation and/or muscle function.

Supporting People With SCI

Our goal at Praxis is to support evidence-based health decisions during a time of high need and difficulty, and to engage people with SCI in the research process by improving awareness of SCI research knowledge and value.

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More than 86,000 Canadians live with spinal cord injuries. With an aging population, that number is expected to increase to 121,000 in the next decade.

SCI In Canada

There are an estimated 86,000 people living with SCI in Canada with 4,300 new cases reported each year. With an aging Canadian population, the total number of people living with SCI in Canada is expected to climb to over 120,000 in the next decade. According to data from our RHSCIR study, the average age of someone who sustains a SCI is 51 years old (Rick Hansen Spinal Cord Injury Registry – A look at traumatic spinal cord injury in Canada, 2017)

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The cost to the Canadian health care system is an estimated $2.7 billion annually for traumatic injuries alone.

Finding The Elusive “Cure”

Damage to the spinal cord can be permanent and a cure remains elusive. New research proves that spinal cord repair and regeneration is possible, however this research is still in early stages. In the meantime, improvements in rehabilitation continue to maximize function after SCI. In addition, new breakthroughs and discoveries are helping people to better manage quality of life issues associated with SCI, such as bladder, bowel, pressure injuries and sexual function. Even modest improvements in functional ability and reduced secondary complications can make huge quality of life differences for many people with SCI.

Praxis defines a cure as any intervention to return a person to greater functionality after a SCI, whether by protecting the injured spinal cord tissue from secondary degeneration, by promoting neuroplasticity and regeneration, and by rehabilitation strategies that could enhance these regenerative efforts.

SCIRE Community

Established by Praxis through the Blusson Integrated Cures Partnership and continuing through funding by the Rick Hansen Foundation, SCIRE Community provides evidence-based information about SCI written in everyday language, covering a variety of topics such as common health issues and current treatments.

Additional Resources

Additional Resources

Common Terms in SCI

You’ll often hear these terms when talking about SCI– here’s what they mean

SCI Resources

Looking for community services? Interested in participating in research? Check out our SCI resources page

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