Spinal Cord Injury

Over 10,000 people in the US suffer a spinal cord injury, also called SCI, each year. SCI is defined as any damage to the spinal cord that results in loss of function or mobility. Such injuries can be caused by trauma or disease and can result in temporary or permanent loss of sensation, loss of movement (paralysis), or loss of bowel or bladder control. Auto accidents are the primary cause, but violence-related accidents have been increasing steadily as a cause of SCI's. Falls and sports accidents also cause many SCI's each year.

There are two types of injury, complete and incomplete. A complete injury is one in which the victim has no sensation or voluntary motor movement on either side of the body below the level of the injury. If the victim has some feeling or partial movement, it is called an incomplete injury.

Injuries are usually defined with reference to the area of the spine affected. Nerves in the spine are defined by the area of the vertebrae. For instance, an injury to the spine in the neck area will affect the cervical vertebrae, so an injury to the nerves at the fifth cervical vertebra is called a C-5 injury. Below the neck are the thoracic vertebrae, so injuries there are defined as T-1, etc. Below these are the lumbar and sacral vertebrae.

Generally speaking, neck injuries can lead to paralysis of all limbs (quadriplegia) while thoracic injuries cause paralysis to the lower limbs only (paraplegia). Both areas have variations in the amount of dysfunction, depending on the severity of the injury. An incomplete cervical injury can leave the patient with some hand use, while a complete injury at C-4 can require the patient to be on a ventilator. Thoracic injuries can leave the arms functional but interfere with walking, bowel control, bladder control, and sexual function. Other functions that can be affected are blood pressure, body temperature and pain levels.

A spinal cord injury usually involves swelling of the spinal cord, which affects the whole body. When the swelling goes down, the patient may regain function months or years after the injury, but it is rare for all functioning to be recovered. Treatment presently consists of stabilizing any broken vertebrae, maintaining the patient, preventing movement to the injured area, and reducing swelling. There is no cure for SCI but stem cell research has shown some signs of being useful in the future.

If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury that seems to have been someone else's fault, call VanDerGinst Law at 1-866-843-7367 or click here for a FREE online case evaluation. The initial consultation is free of charge. If we agree to handle your injury case, we will work on a contingency fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if, and when, there is a money recovery for you. In many cases a lawsuit must be filed before an applicable expiration date, known as a statute of limitations. So please call right away to ensure that you do not waive your right to possible compensation.

• Complete vs. Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury - What is the difference and how does it affect victims of a spinal cord injury?
  
• Glossary of Spine Terminology
• Spinal Cord Injury FAQ
• Spinal Cord Injury Statistics

Links on the Web

Spinal Cord Injuries Wire Comprehensive News Feed for Spinal Cord Injuries.

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 08:00:00 GMT I am part of the team ' Hampton Roads Daily Press ... time during breaks from school and some weekends during the school year. His dedication to the patients in the Spinal Cord Injury Living Center earned him the 2008 Outstanding Youth of the Year Award for Compassion, awarded by the York County Board ... Click here to read this Spinal Cord Injury news article.

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 03:43:29 GMT The Effect of Prior Trauma Exposure on the Development of PTSD Following Spinal Cord Injury CiteULike Journal of Anxiety Disorders , Vol. 14, No. 3. , pp. 313-324. jillshoen Abstract Posttraumatic stress disorder occurs in only a subset of individuals who sustain traumatic spinal cord injuries . Click here to read this Spinal Cord Injury news article.

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:00:00 GMT Medicare To Reimburse For The Bioness L300™ Foot Drop System For Spinal Cord Injury Medical News Today ... announced today that beginning January 1, 2009, the NESS L300 will be reimbursed by Medicare for incomplete spinal cord injury patients suffering from foot drop. The decision by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) establishes a new ... Click here to read this Spinal Cord Injury news article.

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:29:38 GMT Medicare To Reimburse For The Bioness L300a Foot Drop System For Spinal Cord Injury MediLexicon ... announced today that beginning January 1, 2009, the NESS L300 will be reimbursed by Medicare for incomplete spinal cord injury patients suffering from foot drop. The decision by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) establishes a new ... Click here to read this Spinal Cord Injury news article.

Sun, 14 Dec 2008 00:09:40 GMT Gary's Featured Web Links KRON-TV San Francisco ... best known tennis competitors to the Bay Area to compete along San Francisco's Embarcadero. The Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Programs raises money to pay for creative and innovative research programs aimed at developing more effective ... Click here to read this Spinal Cord Injury news article.

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 14:47:30 GMT How spinal patients can be re-integrated into society, VietNamNet International and Vietnamese experts have gathered in Ha Noi to raise awareness about accident prevention to try and prevent spinal cord injuries. Click here to read this Spinal Cord Injury news article.

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