What Is Spinal Cord Injury? Its Causes
What is spinal cord injury? Paralysis and spinal cord injuries are very complicated injuries that have far-reaching consequences for the body. Injuries may influence various biological processes, and it's important to know what those functions are if you want to grasp this topic completely.
Author:Dr. Bill ButcherOct 17, 20221.4K Shares158.9K Views
What is spinal cord injury? Paralysis and spinal cord injuries are very complicated injuries that have far-reaching consequences for the body. Injuries may influence various biological processes, and it's important to know what those functions are if you want to grasp this topic completely.
When the spinal cord is injured, it may cause serious problems with movement and sensation. Disabilities after a spinal cord injurymay take numerous forms. Accidents, gunshots, sports injuries, falls, etc., account for a large portion of all injuries, and illness is another common culprit (polio, spina bifida, spinal tumors, etc).
Function loss in the spinal cord may occur without actual severing of the cord. Spinal cord injuries are distinct from other types of back trauma, including slipped discs, pinched nerves, and shattered bones. In addition to being an extension of the brain, the spinal cord is the biggest nerve in the human body.
It's a miracle if a fractured neck or back doesn't damage the spinal cord. Loss of function due to damage to the spinal cord is often permanent and will result in a different degree of "lifetime" impairment depending on the location and severity of the damage. Too frequently, people whose only injurywas a broken neck or back are lumped together, and their recoveries are compared.
What is a spinal cord injury?
Causes Of Spinal Cord Injury
A fractured neck or back is the most prevalent cause of spinal cord injury (causing damage to the bones of the spine that surround the spinal cord). The spinal cord nerves inside the spinal column are often harmed as a consequence of this. Traumatic injury describes this kind of damage. Factors that contribute to spinal cord trauma include:
- Injuries sustained in car accidents, at home or on the job, while playing a sport, intentionally hurting oneself, being assaulted, or having surgery to fix a deformity like scoliosis result in consequences.
- However, even in the absence of trauma, spinal cord damage may occur and lead to spinal cord injury. Some instances are:
- Spinal cord injury can be caused by a bacterial or viral infection of the spinal nerve cells, by cysts or tumors pressing on the cord, by cutting off blood flow to the cord (which causes cord damage), or by preexisting medical conditions like spina bifida that affect the spinal column's structure from birth.
People Also Ask
What Are The Three Types Of Spinal Cord Injuries?
- Tetraplegia
- Paraplegia
- Triplegia
Can Spinal Cord Injury Be Cured?
If the spinal cord is injured, there is no chance of recovery. However, prostheses and drugs are being developed that may stimulate nerve cell regeneration or enhance the functionality of the nerves that survive a spinal cord injury.
What Are The Symptoms Of Spinal Cord Problem?
- The inability to use one's limbs normally due to weakness or paralysis.
- Experiencing a decline in sensory perception.
- Alterations to automatic responses.
- Control issues with the elimination of wastes from the body.
- Involuntary spasms of muscular tissue.
- My back hurts.
Final Words
The bottom line is that if the spinal cord has been injured in any manner, the prognosis of the accident or sickness will be quite different from that of someone who has just fractured vertebrae. The spinal cord acts as a conduit for signals sent from the brain to the rest of the body. Every vertebra has a location-based name. When the thoracic spine is hurt, it often causes paraplegia, which affects both the chest and the legs.
Dr. Bill Butcher
Author
With more than two decades of experience, Dr. Bill Butcher aims to provide a repository for educational materials, sources of information, details of forthcoming events, and original articles related to the medical field and about health subjects that matter to you. His goal is to help make your life better, to help you find your way when faced with healthcare decisions, and to help you feel better about your health and that of your family.
Bill received his medical degree at Boston University School of Medicine and spent his entire career helping people find the health and medical information, support, and services they need. His mission is to help millions of people feel fantastic by restoring them to optimal health.
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