Trusted spinal cord injury resources

A curated directory of patient-education materials on the secondary complications of spinal cord injury — handouts, booklets, and modules from leading clinics, hospitals, and nonprofits. Choose an organization to see what it publishes.

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• Paralyzed Veterans of America A US veterans' service organization whose consumer guides translate the official SCI clinical practice guidelines into plain-language booklets on topics like autonomic dysreflexia, bladder, bowel, and skin care. 18 resources
• Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation A leading US paralysis nonprofit offering free, accessible booklets on daily life after spinal cord injury — from bladder and bowel management to parenting, employment, and emotional health. 22 resources
• eLearnSCI (ISCoS) A free online education program from the International Spinal Cord Society (ISCoS), with self-paced consumer modules spanning the full range of SCI topics, from injury basics to bladder care, sexuality, and aging. 22 resources
• MSKTC A US federally funded center that turns SCI Model Systems research into easy-to-read factsheets — a large library of evidence-based handouts on secondary health conditions after spinal cord injury. 43 resources
• SCIRE Community A Canadian knowledge-translation project that distills the research evidence on spinal cord injury into plain-language community handouts, available in English, French, Greek, and other languages. 64 resources
• Craig Hospital A US rehabilitation hospital specializing in spinal cord and brain injury, offering a library of practical patient factsheets and a comprehensive SCI handbook drawn from its clinical expertise. 6 resources
• Shepherd Center A US catastrophic-care and rehabilitation hospital specializing in spinal cord injury, whose MyShepherdConnection portal hosts patient-education articles, care manuals, and booklets for people with SCI and their families. 10 resources
• United Spinal Association A US membership nonprofit serving people with spinal cord injuries and disorders, providing peer support, advocacy, and a resource center with self-help videos on daily living and secondary complications. 1 resource
• Spinal Injuries Association (UK) The UK's leading spinal cord injury charity, offering a free Knowledge Hub of consumer factsheets, peer support, and advice on living well with SCI. 13 resources
• Back Up Trust (UK) A UK charity supporting people affected by spinal cord injury through mentoring, wheelchair-skills training, and guidance — including dedicated resources for children and young people. 1 resource
• Spinal Cord Injury BC (Canada) A British Columbia nonprofit helping people with spinal cord injury and their families navigate recovery, with peer support, an information line, and practical guides for life after injury. 2 resources
• UHN Toronto Rehab (Canada) Toronto Rehab (part of Canada's University Health Network) publishes the Spinal Cord Essentials program — a set of clear, single-topic patient handouts covering self-care skills and health management after SCI. 22 resources
• Hamilton Health Sciences (Canada) A Canadian academic hospital network whose rehabilitation program provides introductory guides orienting newly injured patients and families to spinal cord injury recovery. 1 resource
• Barrow Neurological Institute (US) A US neurological institute in Phoenix whose patient-and-family guidebook walks people through the SCI rehabilitation journey, common complications, and the transition home. 1 resource
• University Hospitals Cleveland (US) A US academic medical center whose patient-and-caregiver education booklet covers the basics of spinal cord injury, common complications, and everyday care. 1 resource
• Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (US) A top-ranked US rehabilitation hospital (formerly the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago) offering patient resources on spinal cord injury, including a clear guide to understanding neurogenic bladder. 1 resource
• Spinal Cord Injury Ontario (Canada) An Ontario nonprofit supporting people with spinal cord injury through system navigation, peer support, and its web-based Roadmap to Recovery for newly injured people and families. 1 resource
• Spinal Cord Injuries Australia Spinal Cord Injuries Australia An Australian for-purpose organisation (founded 1967) supporting people with spinal cord injury and other neurological conditions, with a filterable Resource Hub of factsheets, toolkits, and podcasts alongside peer support and advocacy. 1 resource
• SpinalCure Australia SpinalCure Australia An Australian research-funding charity focused on a cure for spinal cord injury; its public SCI Facts explainer gives newly injured people and families plain-language context on paralysis and the hidden secondary complications of SCI. 1 resource
• Spinal Life Australia Spinal Life Australia An Australian membership organisation (Queensland, WA, SA) whose web-based Knowledge Guide covers what spinal cord injury is and how to manage its physical, pain, mental-health, and relationship impacts. 1 resource
• NSW State Spinal Cord Injury Service (Australia) NSW State Spinal Cord Injury Service (Australia) The New South Wales State Spinal Cord Injury Service, which publishes a numbered series of consumer fact sheets on everyday SCI self-management — from healthy eating to bladder, bowel, skin, and autonomic dysreflexia care. 1 resource
• New Zealand Spinal Trust New Zealand Spinal Trust New Zealand's national spinal cord injury charity, offering the SCI 101 introduction, the free "Back on Track" handbook for NZ patients, peer and whānau support, and vocational rehabilitation. 1 resource
• ACC (New Zealand) ACC (New Zealand) New Zealand's no-fault accident-compensation scheme, which funds spinal cord injury rehabilitation and recovery — a reference for how SCI care and support are organised and paid for in New Zealand. 1 resource
• National Rehabilitation Hospital (Ireland) National Rehabilitation Hospital (Ireland) Ireland's national specialist rehabilitation hospital in Dún Laoghaire, whose Spinal Cord System of Care programme publishes a free "About SCI" patient-and-family booklet series covering the essentials of life after spinal cord injury. 8 resources
• Spinal Injuries Ireland Spinal Injuries Ireland Ireland's national spinal cord injury charity, providing information and advice, community outreach, counselling, peer support, and lifelong-learning programmes for people with SCI and their families. 1 resource
• QuadPara Association of South Africa QuadPara Association of South Africa South Africa's leading association for people living with quadriplegia and paraplegia, offering practical guides, a discharge information pack, peer support, and consumer publications on the everyday consequences of spinal cord injury. 7 resources
• Spinal Injured Persons Association (India) Spinal Injured Persons Association (India) A patient-led Indian charity run by and for people with spinal cord injury, offering peer support and a structured self-management knowledge base spanning body, mind, and everyday-life topics. 1 resource
• Indian Spinal Injuries Centre Indian Spinal Injuries Centre India's leading specialist spinal injuries, orthopaedic, and neuro-rehabilitation hospital in New Delhi, providing comprehensive spinal cord injury surgery and rehabilitation. 1 resource
• Kenyan Paraplegic Organization Kenyan Paraplegic Organization A Kenyan organisation supporting people with spinal cord injury and physical disability toward independence through rehabilitation, livelihood and skills programmes, and peer support. 1 resource
• Spinal Cord Injuries Association of Nigeria Spinal Cord Injuries Association of Nigeria A member-led Nigerian organisation (founded 1984) providing rehabilitation, welfare, vocational training, sport, and disability-rights advocacy for people with spinal cord injury. 1 resource

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Looking for our own how-to guides? They're being reviewed and revised by clinicians — start with the trusted resources above, then explore our guides by area.