Basic Care and ComfortQuestion 1632 of 2368
A client with a spinal cord injury cannot move the legs and grimaces when the nurse turns them. Which action is correct?
- Assess for pain, because sensory nerves may still be intact
- Assume the client feels nothing in the legs
- Skip pain assessment of the paralyzed extremity
- Ask the family to rate the client's pain instead
Show answer
Correct answer: Assess for pain, because sensory nerves may still be intact
Motor loss does not always mean sensory loss. A paralyzed client may still feel pain.
Source: Nursing Skills, 2nd edition (Open RN, Chippewa Valley Technical College, 2023), Neurological Assessment: FUNCTIONS OF SPINAL NERVES. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Practice the topic "Basic Care and Comfort"Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026