Acute Spinal Cord Injury

Overview

A spinal cord injury (SCI) — is damage to the spinal cord resulting in a change, either temporary or permanent, in its normal motor, sensory, or autonomic function.

Prognosis or scope of improvement in weakness/ function depends on various factors like severity of injury/ time since injury/level of injury etc.

If the SCI is complete, the chances of neurological improvement are very bleak.

We have great hope that ongoing research will make the repair of spinal cord injuries possible in the near future. Presently, effective treatments and rehabilitation programs enable a number of people with spinal cord injuries to lead productive, independent lives.

Symptoms

The ability to control your limbs after a spinal cord injury depends on two factors: the place of the injury along your spinal cord and the severity of injury to the spinal cord.

The severity of the injury is often classified as either of the following:

Paralysis as a result of a spinal cord injury may be referred to as:

Emergency symptoms

When to see a doctor

A serious injury to the head and neck calls for immediate medical evaluation for the possibility of a spinal injury. It should be assumed that the victim has a spinal injury unless proved otherwise since:

Causes

A traumatic spinal cord injury may stem from a sudden blow to the spine that fractures, dislocates, crushes or compresses one or more of the vertebrae. It may also be caused by a gunshot or knife wound that penetrates and cuts the spinal cord.

The most common causes of spinal cord injuries include:

Causes

The areas most often affected include:

On-site management

If you suspect that someone has a back or neck injury:

Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation is a multidisciplinary approach working towards the common goal of making the spinal cord injured person functionally independent physically, psychologically and occupationally, as much as possible.