Primary prevention

In terms of preventative measures, reference is usually made to Primary and Secondary prevention.

Primary prevention aims to eliminate the circumstances in which a spinal cord injury can occur in the first place.

In the modern world, this scenario is impractical and we accept that accidents will almost certainly happen.

• No spinal injuries =
  • No cars
  • No bikes
  • No falls
  • No contact sports
  • No accidents

Not very likely!!

Given this, there are a number of things that can be done to lessen the likelihood of spinal-cord injury occurring through primary prevention.

This includes the role of legislation, protective equipment, seat belts in vehicles, the use of helmets on motorised and non-powered equipment and in contact sports, education programs, rule changes, training of personnel and participants, the safe design of vehicles, sporting fields and equipment as well as a culture of safety which aims to minimise risks to individuals, which can all be effective as primary preventative measures in isolation or combination.

• Legislation
• Protective Equipment
• Seat belts
• Helmets
• Safety design
• Safety culture

Some help….