Spinal Cord Injury Information

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is damage to the spinal cord resulting in loss of mobility or feeling. Damage to the spinal cord may result from direct trauma to the spinal cord or from injury to surrounding bone or tissues. Most injuries to the spinal cord cause permanent loss of sensation and ability to move below the location of the damage.

The Facts

• The spinal cord is about 18 inches long, which is shorter than the bony spinal column. It extends from the base of the brain to your waist. The nerves within the spinal cord carry messages back and forth from the brain and to the rest of the body. Damage to the spinal cord interrupts this communication process.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of a spinal cord injury depend on the severity of the injury and the location of the trauma. In general, the higher the injury, the more body areas are affected. Injury at the neck level may affect arms, legs and breathing, while an injury at the waist or below may only affect the lower half of your body. If you damage your spinal cord, you may experience loss of sensation, loss of movement, pain, difficulty breathing or loss of bowel and bladder control.

Types

• Spinal cord injuries are categorized as partial or complete. If you have a partial spinal cord injury, you still have some sensation or motor function below the injury. If you have a complete spinal cord injury, you have almost total loss of function and sensation below the injury. If you have a complete injury, you are not likely to experience significant recovery. Because of advances in acute treatment of spinal cord injuries, incomplete injuries are becoming more common.

Significance

• Between 10,000 and 15,000 people suffer spinal cord injuries each year in the United States. Many of these are permanently paralyzed or die as the result of these injuries. Most SCI occur to young healthy individuals, most often men between the ages of 15 and 35.

Treatment

• Advances in recent years have improved the probability of recovery of people with a spinal cord injuries. Researchers are continually working on new treatments that may improve the function of remaining nerves after an SCI or may promote nerve cell regeneration. Patients who suffer a spinal cord injury typically are admitted to an intensive care unit where doctors focus on maintaining their breathing, controlling their blood pressure and preventing complications. Typically, they are treated with medication and immobilized to prevent further damage. Emergency surgery may be necessary.

Prevention

• Automobile accidents are the leading cause of SCI: Driving safely and wearing a seat belt reduces the risk of spinal cord injuries. Wearing safety gear when playing sports, using handrails on stairways and storing guns and ammunition separately are other important safety precautions.