Shattered images: recovery for the SCI client.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is one of the most traumatic afflictions a person can experience. The impact of the injury on body image often seems unbearable. The SCI individual faces the reality of a known body image that has been replaced by a devastating change in both appearance and function. The physiological and psychological changes created by the SCI require time for adjustment. This article proposes a four-stage process adapted from Grunbaum (1985) to help SCI clients recover from a disturbance in body image. Nursing interventions for the SCI client that facilitate restoration of a shattered body image are suggested.