Spinal Cord Injuries: A Tramatic Injury to the Body

Spinal cord injuries are one of the most tragic injuries a person can endure. Most spinal cord injuries are due to motor vehicle accidents. These people are then given the news, that due to their injury, they will never walk again, and in some cases they will lose all mobility from the neck or chest down. Some cases will have an almost complete recovery. Others will result in complete paralysis.

When a spinal cord injury occurs, it's usually from the traumatic blow to the spinal cord. The sudden blow to the spine usually fractures, breaks, or dislocates the vertebrae along the spine. The moment of impact to the spine is when the damage begins. Pieces of vertebrae break off into bone fragments damaging the spinal tissue.

After most people receive the news about the outcome of their injury, they either have self-pity for themselves, or they just give up on life. The worst thing a person with a spinal cord injury can do is to give up hope. These people, who have a spinal cord injury must push forward, and set out to prove these doctors wrong that have told them they will never have mobility or even walk again.

There are many types of spinal cord injuries a person can receive, some more serious than others. Some spinal cord injuries can even cause death. There are some spinal cord patients who have been told, due to their paralysis, they will never walk again. In some cases with determination, and with months of rehabilitation, these patients are walking today.

Some spinal cord injuries are so severe; some of these people can expect to be in a wheelchair for the rest of their life. When a person is confined to a wheelchair for the rest of their life, other health problems can occur. The most common health problem for wheelchair bound people is an ulcer, also known as a "bedsore". Sitting for a long period of time for someone who has no feeling in their lower extremities, do not realize they need to shift their body weight to relieve pressure points. A person who is confined to a wheelchair has a greater chance of getting a bedsore because of the break down of skin in that area. If this problem is not taken care of, or is ignored, infection can occur and the sore can actually get down to the bone, causing even more health problems.

Spinal cord injuries are classified as either incomplete or complete. An incomplete spinal cord injury means the spinal cords ability to convey messages to or from the brain is not completely lost. Incomplete spinal cord injury allows the person to retain some motor or sensory function below the level of injury. A complete spinal cord injury is indicated by a total lack of sensory and motor function below the level of injury. People who suffer from a spinal cord injury most likely will have medical complications such as chronic pain, an increased susceptibility to respiratory and heart problems. To have a successful recovery depends upon how well these chronic conditions are handled each day.

Patients and doctors hope that repairing injured spinal cords is a reachable goal. Clinical research understands the kinds of physical rehabilitation that work best to restore function. Some promising rehabilitation techniques are helping spinal cord patients to become more mobile.