The resources on this page inform and support people with spinal cord injuries and their families.
Health maintenance tool: How to stay healthy and well with a spinal cord injury
A guide to help you understand and troubleshoot problems you may experience throughout your spinal cord injury journey.
Developed by Sydney University with Royal Rehab and ACI. Published: 2023.
Information on COVID-19 for people with spinal cord injury: Frequently asked questions
This fact sheet addresses some common questions specifically for people with spinal cord injury. It complements the general COVID-19 information provided by the NSW and Commonwealth governments.
Published: July 2022. Next review: 2023.
Planning for disruption of supports and services due to COVID-19
Develop a COVID-19 action plan that addresses the need for isolation and possible changes to the availability of your support workers.
Published: August 2022. Next review: 2024.
Inspiratory muscle training in people with spinal cord injury
For people with tetraplegia, regular use of a resistance-based inspiratory muscle trainer promotes stronger respiratory muscles and improves lung capacity. This fact sheet describes the training program, cleaning and set up.
Published: June 2022. Next review: 2023.
Nutrition for adults with spinal cord injury
Information about how to determine and maintain a healthy weight, dietary guidelines and how diet impacts the health of your bowels, bladder, skin and bones.
Published: May 2019. Next review: 2024.
Spinal cord injury pain
Hear directly from people in pain about helpful strategies, tools and resources to help you learn pain management skills.
Published: April 2021. Next review: 2025.
What to do when you are hospitalised
People with spinal cord injury have specific needs and are at higher risk of some complications. This guide aims to help you and your family or carer advocate and direct your care whilst you are in hospital to prevent and address some of these complications.
Developed by Royal Rehab. Published: April 2020.
Talking to your children about spinal cord injury: A practical guide for families
This guide has been developed to assist you and your family to talk to your children about spinal cord injury, and how it might affect your lives.
Published: 2012. Next review: 2027.
Dad has a spinal cord injury, and what happened next
In this children’s book, Melissa tells her story of her father’s spinal cord injury. It outlines milestones on the journey from his injury to his return home.
Published: October 2006. Next review: 2030.
Autonomic dysreflexia is a sudden and severe rise in blood pressure. can occur in people with spinal cord injury at or above the sixth thoracic (T6) level.
Watch this video to understand more about autonomic dysreflexia and what to do.
- Forward Ability Support
Provides clinical services and home and living support. - healthdirect: Spinal cord injuries
National virtual public health information service, providing summary information and a service directory. - MedlinePlus: Spinal cord injuries (USA)
Summary information from the USA National Library of Medicine about diagnoses, tests, treatments and research. - Northcott Paediatric Spinal Outreach Service
Provides nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and social work support to children and young people. - Physical Disability Council of NSW
Advocacy organisation provides peer support and training on self-management, resilience and inclusion. - Spinal Cord Injuries Australia
Member-based peak body for people with spinal cord injuries, providing advocacy and support services.