The spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that carries messages between the brain and the body to control muscle movement, detect sensations, and perform other bodily functions. A spinal cord injury is any damage to the nerves in the spinal cord, (more…)
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Spinal Cord Injury
Anatomy of the Spinal Cord
The spine and the spinal cord are two different structures. The spinal cord is a bundle of nerve cells and fibers running from the base of the brain to shortly above the tailbone. The spine, also called the backbone or spinal column, is the set of bones (more…)
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Professional Care for Survivors of Traumatic Injuries
A traumatic injury devastates the lives of survivors and their families; the injured person’s needs are complex: they must learn new ways to physically carry-out daily activities and/or emotionally cope with being more dependent on others for basic needs (like feeding or toileting). On top of the pains of recovery and rehabilitation, the injured person and their families or care-givers will need to navigate the healthcare system, interfacing with doctors, lawyers, government agencies, etc. N...
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Living with a Brain Injury
There’s no denying that life is different after a traumatic brain injury (TBI). In addition to all the physical changes a brain injury may bring, a TBI can also mean the loss of a career or the disruption of an education. It can change your plans for the future, alter the way you meet and make friends, and affect the way you think about yourself. Life after a brain injury usually involves challenges, but that doesn’t mean life is less valuable or fulfilling.
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Classifying a Spinal Cord Injury
A spinal cord injury can be classified by level or by type. The level of injury describes the location of the injury and what parts of the body are affected while the injury type describes the degree of damage.
Level of Spinal Cord Injury
The level of spinal-cord injury refers to the location along the spinal cord where the injury occurred and also indicates which body parts are most likely to experience a loss of movement and/or sensation. The level of injury is designated by a letter-number ...
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Living with a Spinal Cord Injury
Adjusting to the effects of a spinal cord injury is difficult; in addition to the physical limitations and challenge of learning how to compensate for abilities that have permanently changed, there’s also an emotional and psychological impact from losing independence, having to rely on others for activities of daily living, and suffering from chronic conditions.
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Some of the complications a SCI survivor may experience include loss of control over ...
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Spinal Cord Injury Treatment & Rehabilitation
Unfortunately there’s no way to reverse damage to the spinal cord; treatment for a spinal cord injury focuses on preventing further damage and empowering the injured person to have an active and productive life.
Emergency & Hospital Care
Treatment for a spinal cord injury often begins at the scene of the accident; paramedics will act to stabilize the injured person’s heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, and other vital stats. To prevent further injury, the person’s head and neck may ...
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Diagnosing Spinal Cord Injury
Diagnosing a spinal cord injury begins during emergency treatment and usually requires subsequent neurological exams; X-rays, CT scans, and/or MRIs may be administered to determine the level and completeness of the injury. The level of injury refers to the location along the spinal cord where the injury occurred and indicates which parts of the body may be affected. The completeness of the injury refers to the extent of damage to the spinal cord and indicates the degree of paralysis (full or...
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Effects of a Spinal Cord Injury
Once the spinal cord has been injured, the damaged nerves can no longer send messages between the brain and the body. The effects of SCI depend on the level of injury as well as the extent of damage to the nerve fibers. Generally, the body functions located above the level of injury will continue to work, while the body functions below the point of injury will be impaired; this means, the closer to the head the injury occurs, the more dysfunction a person is likely to experience.
Cervical Injur...
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Types of Spinal Cord Injury
There are two types of spinal cord injuries: complete spinal cord injuries refer to a total loss of function below the level of the injury, while incomplete spinal cord injuries are those that result in a partial loss of function.
Complete Spinal Cord Injury
A complete spinal cord injury means that there is no movement or sensation below the level of the injury. In a complete injury, both sides of the body are equally affected; the result is either complete paraplegia, total paralysis in t...
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