| Cord Injury | | | | transportation, falls, and firearms. |
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| A spinal cord injury is damage to the spinal | | | | The Foundation for Spinal Cord Injury |
| cord. The spinal cord is a soft bundle of | | | | Prevention, Care & Cure (FSCIPCC) is a |
| nerves that extends from the base of the | | | | non-profit educational group dedicated to the |
| brain to the lower back. It runs through the | | | | prevention, care and cure of spinal cord |
| spinal canal, a tunnel formed by holes in the | | | | injuries through public awareness, education |
| bones of the spine. The bony spine helps | | | | and funding research. Founded by its current |
| protect the spinal cord. See pictures of the | | | | Chairman Ronald R. |
| spine and the spinal cord. | | | | |
| | | | How does spinal cord injury pain develop? |
| Spinal cord injuries usually begin with a | | | | |
| blow that fractures or dislocates your | | | | The spinal cord and brain together comprise |
| vertebrae, the bone disks that make up your | | | | the Central Nervous System (CNS). The spinal |
| spine. Most injuries don't sever your spinal | | | | cord is responsible for the body's movement |
| cord. Instead, they cause damage when pieces | | | | and sensation. Once injured, it does not |
| of vertebrae tear into cord tissue or press | | | | repair itself. The master link between our |
| down on the nerve parts that carry signals. | | | | brains and our bodies, the spinal cord |
| | | | contains millions of individual nerve fibers |
| Symptoms and Causes | | | | in a highly organized weave. Nerve cells |
| | | | direct impulses from the brain to specific |
| Any trauma that pulls, compresses, pushes | | | | muscles in the body. |
| sideways or cuts your spinal cord may cause | | | | |
| SCI. Penetration of a foreign object, such as | | | | Is there any treatment? |
| bone or metal, into the spinal cord can cause | | | | |
| serious damage, as can pressure from | | | | Improved emergency care for people with |
| bleeding, swelling and fluid accumulation. | | | | spinal cord injuries and aggressive treatment |
| | | | and rehabilitation can minimize damage to the |
| A complete spinal cord injury is defined by | | | | nervous system and even restore limited |
| total or near-total loss of motor function | | | | abilities. Respiratory complications are |
| and sensation below the area of injury. | | | | often an indication of the severity of spinal |
| However, even in a complete injury, the | | | | cord injury About one-third of those with |
| spinal cord is almost never completely cut in | | | | injury to the neck area will need help with |
| half. Doctors use the term "complete" to | | | | breathing and require respiratory support. |
| describe a large amount of damage to the | | | | |
| spinal cord. | | | | Emergency actions |
| | | | |
| Weakness, poor coordination or paralysis, | | | | Urgent medical attention is critical to |
| particularly below the level of the injury | | | | minimizing the long-term effects of any head |
| | | | or neck trauma. So treatment for a spinal |
| Loss of bowel or bladder control | | | | cord injury often begins at the scene of the |
| | | | accident. |
| Prevention Strategies | | | | |
| | | | More than Physical Therapy |
| Implementing programs that reduce or | | | | |
| eliminate behavioral and environmental risk | | | | Besides a loss of sensation or motor |
| factors, and provide behavioral and | | | | functioning, individuals with SCI also |
| environmental protective factors. | | | | experience other changes. For example, they |
| | | | may have bowel and/or bladder dysfunction. |
| Continuing to support collaborative | | | | Sexual functioning is frequently disrupted or |
| prevention efforts in areas such as | | | | lost with SCI.. |