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Qualitative Health Research, Vol. 18, No. 2, 209-221 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1049732307312391

Women Living With a Spinal Cord Injury: Perceptions About Their Changed Bodies

Lisa Chau

University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Lenke Hegedus

University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Monate Praamsma

University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Katey Smith

University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Michiko Tsukada

University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Karen Yoshida

University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Rebecca Renwick

University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

In this article we illuminate the narratives of women living with a spinal cord injury (SCI) with regard to (a) learning how to live with a changed body and (b) exploring the factors that influence how they feel toward their new bodies. An SCI produces immediate physical impairments resulting in a changed body, which can then have physical, emotional, and social consequences to these women. Through its focus on enhancing the body, physical therapy can help to promote a positive view of the self within the changed body. Our analysis of these women's experiences resulted in a fluid, three-phase framework of learning to live with a changed body that generally moves from (a) discomfort, to (b) moving toward comfort, to (c) comfort. Physical therapy can potentially influence the process of women's gaining comfort with their changed bodies following an SCI. The framework provides a basis for future research on adaptation following SCI.

Key Words: spinal cord injury • women • body image • women's health


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