Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2026

Whole Body Vibration Methods with Survivors of Polio
Published on: October 17, 2018
Paraplegia: a postal survey of morbidity trends in India
1Department of Physiotherapy, Manipal College of Allied Health Sciences, Manipal, Karnataka, India.
Study Design:
Postal survey from August 2004 to May 2006.
Objective:
To ascertain the morbidity trends in individuals with paraplegia in India and to find its association with demographic characteristics.
Settings:
India.
Methods:
The questionnaire was mailed to the identified individuals (n=600) whose addresses were obtained from the medical records section of our hospital and by contacting non-government organizations (NGOs), working for individuals with paraplegia in various cities. The causes of morbidities surveyed were respiratory complications, use of catheter, pressure sores, spasticity, postural hypotension, pain and fractures. Data were analysed using nonparametric test of association (Goodman Kruskal Tau).
Results:
A total of 276 (46%) individuals responded. Of all the morbidities studied, pain was the leading cause (57.2%) followed by spasticity (39.1%), pressure sore (28.3%), postural hypotension (10.1%), respiratory complications, and fractures (5.8%). We found significant associations between various morbidities and demographics and between morbidities themselves.
Conclusion:
The most common cause for morbidity was pain. Ambulation reduced the incidence of secondary complications.
Related Concept Videos
Poliomyelitis
Prevalence and Incidence
Prevalence indicates the proportion of individuals in a population who have a specific disease or health condition at a...
Spinal Cord Injury ll: Pathophysiology
Secondary Spinal Cord Injury llI: Pathophysiology
Peripheral Arterial Disease II: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Evaluation
