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 be fit...

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 par...

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 two lim...