What is Spinal Cord Injury

The spinal cord is a long bundle of nerve cells and fibers along the spine. It carries messages between the brain and the rest of the body.

A spinal cord injury can block the path of messages traveling through the spinal cord between your brain and the rest of your body. As a result, it can cause you to lose feeling, movement, and function in parts of the body below the injury.

There are two types of spinal cord injuries:

• Incomplete. This type causes some loss of feeling, movement, or function below the level of the injury.
• Complete. This type causes a total loss of feeling, movement, and function below the level of the injury.

What are the causes?

This condition may be caused by:

• A car or motorcycle accident.
• A fall.
• A sports injury, such as from:
  • A trampoline accident.
  • Diving into shallow water or water that contains debris or obstacles.
• A gunshot.
• A birth injury.
• A surgical injury.
• An infection that involves the spinal cord.

This condition is most often caused by an injury to the bones that make up the spine. Any movement of these bones can crush, tear, or put pressure on the spinal cord.

What increases the risk?

You are more likely to develop this condition if:

• You are male.
• You are between the ages of 16 and 30.
• You are over the age of 65.
• You do activities that are more likely to cause this type of injury such as:
  • High-speed sports.
  • Activities that make you more likely to fall on your head, neck, or back.

What are the signs or symptoms?

Symptoms of this condition depend on the location and severity of the injury. Symptoms may include:

• Partial or total loss of movement.
• Partial or total loss of feeling.
• Difficulty breathing.
• Loss of bladder or bowel control.
• Pain or pressure in the neck, back, or head.
• Tingling in your hands, fingers, feet, or toes.
• Lumps in the head or spine.

The spinal cord is divided into sections that control different parts of your body. Where you experience symptoms depends on which segment of your spinal cord is damaged:

• If your neck (cervical) segment is damaged, you will have symptoms in your neck, arms, and fingers.
• If your upper back (thoracic) segment is damaged, you will have symptoms in your torso.
• If your lower back (lumbar) segment is damaged, you will have symptoms in your hips and legs.
• If your tailbone (sacral) segment is damaged, you will have symptoms in your groin and toes.

How is this diagnosed?

This condition is diagnosed based on:

• The injury you received.
• Your medical history.
• Your symptoms.
• A physical exam.
• Imaging tests, such as:
  • X-rays.
  • CT scans.
  • An MRI.

How is this treated?

This condition requires emergency treatment to stabilize the spine and to prevent further injury. You may be admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU), where health care providers will:

• Provide breathing support.
• Stabilize your blood pressure.
• Treat any infections with antibiotic medicines.
• Monitor your heart and lung function.

Additional treatment may involve:

• Wearing a rigid neck brace to keep your neck from moving.
• Being strapped to a board to prevent the rest of your spine from moving.
• Having a treatment to stretch your spine in order to relieve pressure on your spinal cord (traction).
• Having surgery to relieve pressure on the spine from a bone, blood clot, foreign body, or bulging disc.
• Taking medicines to reduce swelling.
• Taking medicines to reduce pain.

There is no cure for this condition, but long-term therapy and support from health care providers and caregivers can help with the effects of the injury. Therapy may include:

• Physical therapy. This includes exercises that help strengthen muscles, prevent stiffness, and maintain range of motion.
• Occupational therapy to help you safely manage your home and work life.
• Electrical stimulation of nerves. This may help restore some body functions.
• Social and emotional support from friends and family members.

Therapists and support programs can help you learn to:

• Take care of yourself at home and in the community.
• Manage bowel and bladder problems.
• Cope with mental health problems.
• Manage pain.

Follow these instructions at home:

• Take over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your health care provider.
• Do exercises as told by your health care provider.
• Work closely with all your health care providers.
• Make sure you have a good support system at home. Let someone know if you are struggling with anxiety or depression.
• Consider seeking out a support group for people with your type of injury.
• Keep all follow-up visits as directed by your health care provider. This is important.

Contact a health care provider if:

• You have chills or fever.
• Your symptoms gradually change or get worse.
• You develop sores on your feet, back, elbows, tailbone, or hips.
• You have trouble urinating or pain when urinating.
• You need more support at home.

Get help right away if:

• Your symptoms suddenly get worse.
• You have a cough.
• You have shortness of breath.
• You have pain or a dull ache above the level of where your spine was injured.
• You have chest pain or trouble breathing.
• You have swelling, redness, or pain in your legs.
• You do not feel safe at home.

Summary

• A spinal cord injury can block the path of messages traveling through the spinal cord between your brain and the rest of your body.
• A complete spinal cord injury causes a total loss of feeling, movement, and function below the level of the injury.
• An incomplete spinal cord injury causes some loss of feeling, movement, or function below the level of the injury.
• This condition requires emergency treatment. It may be treated in an intensive care unit (ICU).
• There is no cure for this condition, but long-term therapy and support from health care providers and caregivers can help with the effects of the injury.