Life after a C6 spinal cord injury: What can you do?

What are some tasks that a patient with a complete C6 spinal cord injury can perform?

A) Button buttons with a button hook

B) Tie shoes

C) Brush teeth

D) Use mobile arm supports for feeding

Answer:

A patient with a complete C6 spinal cord injury generally retains the ability to use wrist muscles for a tenodesis grip, enabling them to button buttons with a hook and brush teeth. However, tying shoes and using mobile arm supports could prove challenging due to impaired dexterity.

After sustaining a complete C6 spinal cord injury, individuals often wonder what tasks they will be able to perform. Fortunately, there are still several tasks that can be accomplished with this type of injury.

One of the tasks that a patient with a C6 spinal cord injury can do is button buttons with a button hook. This is because they retain the ability to use wrist extensor muscles, allowing them to execute a tenodesis grip. This grip enables them to open and close their fingers, making buttoning buttons achievable.

Another task that is possible for these patients is brushing teeth. The wrist extensor muscles play a role in this activity as well, allowing them to grasp a toothbrush and move it with relative ease.

However, tasks such as tying shoes and using mobile arm supports for feeding may prove to be more challenging. This is primarily due to the impaired finger dexterity that accompanies a C6 spinal cord injury.

While certain tasks may present challenges, individuals with a C6 spinal cord injury still have the ability to carry out essential daily activities, providing them with a degree of independence and functionality in their daily lives.