If you live with reduced sensation or limited mobility — as many people with spinal cord injuries do — pressure injuries are one of the most serious health risks you face, and also one of the most preventable. A few consistent daily habits do most of the protective work. Here are the basics, explained plainly.
What is a pressure injury?
A pressure injury (also called a pressure sore or pressure ulcer) is damage to skin and underlying tissue caused by sustained pressure, often over bony areas like the tailbone, hips, heels and elbows. Because reduced sensation means you may not feel the warning discomfort, damage can develop quietly — which is why prevention routines matter so much.
The daily habits that prevent them
Regular pressure relief
Changing position regularly takes weight off vulnerable areas and lets blood flow return. In a wheelchair this might mean tilting, leaning or lifting at regular intervals through the day; in bed it means scheduled repositioning. Your occupational therapist or spinal service can advise on the right technique and frequency for you.
Daily skin checks
Check high-risk areas at least once a day — commonly morning and night. A mirror or a support worker can help with areas you cannot see. You are looking for redness that does not fade, changes in skin colour or temperature, blisters, or broken skin. On darker skin tones, changes may show as areas that look darker, shiny, or feel different to touch.
The right equipment, properly maintained
- Cushions and mattresses: pressure-relieving cushions and mattresses are prescribed for a reason — use the ones assessed for you, and have them reviewed if your body or lifestyle changes.
- Check the setup: a slipped cushion, an underinflated air cell or a worn cover can quietly undo the protection.
Skin-friendly living
Keep skin clean and dry, manage continence carefully, stay hydrated, eat well, and take care with heat sources — hot water bottles, car seats in summer and heaters can burn skin that cannot feel them.
When to act
If you find redness that does not fade within a short time of relieving pressure, or any broken skin, treat it seriously: keep pressure off the area completely and seek advice promptly from your GP, community nurse or spinal service. Early action is the difference between a few days of care and months of healing. This article is general education only — always follow the specific advice of your treating health professionals.
How support workers fit in
Well-trained support workers are a huge asset in prevention: helping with skin checks, prompting pressure relief, spotting equipment problems and flagging early changes. This is exactly the kind of quiet, skilled vigilance Dora trains its Perth team to provide.
Why prevention beats treatment, every time
A serious pressure injury can mean months of bed rest, restricted sitting time, possible surgery, and a long interruption to work, family life and independence. The mathematics of prevention are stark: a few minutes of daily checks and regular pressure relief, versus potentially a year of recovery. People who have been through a major pressure injury almost universally become passionate advocates for prevention — it is far better to learn from their experience than to repeat it.
Building prevention into real life
The routines that survive are the ones woven into existing habits: skin checks during morning and evening personal care, pressure relief cued to phone reminders or natural breaks, equipment checks made part of the weekly rhythm. Support workers can carry much of this quietly — prompting without nagging, checking without fuss — so prevention never dominates the day. Life events deserve extra attention: long flights and road trips, new wheelchairs or cushions, hospital stays, illness, weight change and hot Perth summers all shift your risk profile. When anything changes, it is worth a fresh conversation with your occupational therapist or spinal service about whether your equipment and routine still fit. Prevention is not a static checklist; it is an ongoing relationship with your own skin.
Dora Health and Wellbeing offers nurse-led in-home care and spinal cord injury support across Perth, with pressure care built into everything we do. Contact Dora to talk about how we can support your skin health routine.
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Our Perth-based team is happy to answer questions — no pressure, no obligation.