SPINAL CORD INJURY INFORMATION

IMPACT OF SPINAL CORD INJURY

Spinal cord injury is fundamentally about broken wires, where the “wires” are nerve cells that travel up and down the spinal cord. These nerve cells carry information from the body to the brain, and commands from the brain back to the muscles. When these nerve cells are damaged, signals can no longer be sent to and from the brain. The further up the spinal column that the injury occurs, the more severe the effect. The severity of the injury and the level of injury (whether high or low in the spinal cord) determines the degree of lost function and dependence upon support people.  Injuries in the lumbar spine can cause loss of sensation and control of the legs, causing paraplegia. Injuries in the cervical spinal column (the neck) are more serious still, and can cause quadriplegia.

Spinal cord injury affects millions of people worldwide. Spinal injury causes partial or complete paralysis, reducing quality of life and requiring an incredible amount of medical, emotional and social support. 

Spinal cord injury results in the loss of -

- Sensory information below the level of the injury

- Mobility and motor function below the level of the injury

- The ability to control body temperature and blood pressure

- Life opportunities

- Ongoing medical support for bladder and bowel management

It is clear then, that even a small improvement to the spinal cord might have a big effect on quality of life, with the further down the spinal cord that the brain is able to communicate, the more bodily functions that are regained to voluntary control.

For further information please refer to the following site http://www.sci-info-pages.com.