A question about recovery: Can we heal injuries that cannot be seen?
You can usually see the effects of a traumatic injury. Survivors can have broken bones and severe scars. They might be unable to walk or use their hands. Sometimes, they lose limbs.
But, what happens when the accident is serious, the pain is real, but the person looks fine on the outside? Survivors of serious injuries sustained in low-voltage electrical accidents often deal with tremendous pain that can't be seen or understood. Worse still, these people must recover while their co-workers, their friends, and even their doctors don't believe that anything's wrong.
They must face a long recovery, often filled with self-doubt, and pressure to get on with their lives when it feels impossible.
St. John's Rehab is the only hospital in Canada providing specialized rehabilitation for survivors of electrical injuries. Through more than 10 years of experience helping people recover from these serious, yet misunderstood and often invisible injuries, we have become the country's leading centre of knowledge in this area.
A team of St. John's Rehab researchers working with acute care partner Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre recently conducted a study that confirms the importance of specialized rehabilitation after an electrical injury.
Published in the January/February 2010 Journal of Burn Care and Research, the study "Effectiveness of Pain Management Following Electrical Injury" analyzes the history and results of the electrical injury rehab program.
"We found that patients' levels of pain, and their use of pain medication, noticeably decreased after participating in rehab," explains Dr. Joel Fish, the hospital's Chief Medical Officer and one of the authors of this study.
With reduced pain in almost all areas of their bodies, people are able to move beyond additional symptoms such as depression and insomnia. Most importantly, patients are able to enjoy a much higher quality of life, returning to leisure and family activities, and in some cases, being able to work again.