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…)

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 ...

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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dpn6HtywuZ4 Some of the complications a SCI survivor may experience include loss of control over ...

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 ...

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...

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...

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...