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What is a Spinal Cord Injury?

October 26, 2011

A spinal cord injury (SCI) is damage or trauma to the spinal cord that causes loss of movement and feeling below the site of the injury.

 The Spinal Cord Pathway

The spinal cord is about 18-inches long.  It extends from the base of the brain along the middle of the back, down to about the waist. The nerves within the spinal cord constitute a pathway that carries messages back and forth from the brain to all parts of the body.   This vital pathway is protected by a column of bony rings called vertebrae that surround the spinal cord.  When an injury causes the vertebrae to break and press up against the spinal cord, the nerves within can be damaged, and the pathway broken or interrupted.

The break or interruption means that the messages that flow between the brain and the spinal cord can no longer get through.  The paralysis that results depends on the location and extent of the break.

It’s a common misconception that the spinal cord is severed in people with a spinal cord injury.  In fact, in most people with SCI, the spinal cord is intact; it is the cellular damage to the nerves that causes paralysis.  This damage can occur even without damage to the vertebrae.

Spinal Cord Injury Effects

Paraplegia means that paralysis affects all or part of the trunk, legs or pelvic organs. Quadriplegia (or Tetraplegia) means that arms, trunk, legs and pelvic organs are all affected.

Loss of movement and feeling depends on what part of the spine is damaged.  (See interactive spinal cord injury map)

Cervical Vertebrae

Cervical injuries above the C-4 level may require a ventilator for the person to breathe.  C-5 injuries often result in shoulder and biceps control, but no control at the wrist or hand.  C-6 injuries generally yield wrist control, but no hand function.  Individuals with C-7 and T-1 injuries can straighten their arms but still may have problems with the hands.

Thoracic Vertebrae

The first thoracic vertebrae, T-1, is the vertebrae where the top rib attaches.  Injuries in the thoracic region usually affect the chest and legs and result in paraplegia.  For T-1 to T-8 injuries, there is most often control of the hands, but lack of abdominal muscle control.  Lower T-injuries (T-9-T-12) allow good truck control and good abdominal muscle control.

Lumbar Vertebrae

Injuries to the five Lumbar vertebrae (L-1-L-5) and similarly to five Sacral Vertebrae (S-1-S-5) generally result in some loss of functioning in the hips and legs.  Lumbar and Sacral injuries yield decreasing control of the hip flexors and legs.

Sacrum

The Sacral Vertebrae run from the pelvis to the end of the spinal column.  Injuries to the five Lumbar vertebrae (L1-L5) and similarly to the five Sacral Vertebrae (S-1 through S-5) generally result in some loss of functioning in the hips and legs.  Lumbar and Sacral injuries yield decreasing control of the hip flexors and legs.

Complete and Incomplete Spinal Cord Injuries

A spinal cord injury is called “complete” if all feeling and ability to control movement is lost below the level of the injury, which suggests that no messages are getting through the spinal cord.  An injury is called “ incomplete” if there is some motor control and feeling below the injury, which indicates some messages are still getting through.  With advances in the acute treatment of spinal cord injuries, incomplete injuries are becoming more common.

Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries

The most common causes of spinal cord injuries in the U.S. are auto and motorcycle accidents.  They account for more than 40 per cent of the estimated 12,000 new cases each year.   About 15 per cent are caused by acts of violence involving gunshot and knife wounds.  Athletic activities cause about 8 per cent.  Use of alcohol is a factor in about 1 out of every  4 spinal cord injuries.  More than 80 percent of all spinal cord injuries occur to young males, mostly between the ages of 16 and 30.

Treatment Outlook

At this time, there is no way to reverse damage to the spinal cord.  But researchers are continually working on new treatments, including stem-cell therapies, innovative electrical stimulation, bionic exoskeletons and  new medications.  They are aimed at promoting nerve cell regenerations or improving the function of the nerves that remain.

Spinal cord injury treatment and rehabilitation focuses on empowering people with spinal cord injuries to live active, productive lives.

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8 responses to “What is a Spinal Cord Injury?”

  1. when I had my spinal cord back in Aug 3 rd 1983 while working as a private security officer I became a gun shot victim fired from 357 colt pyton within 8 feet the bullet entered my upper left shoulder coming out down across my heart coming out at T4 level of the spine severly damaging both my spinal and the motor nerves that control my bodily funcations I was left for dead today I live know why GOD brough me back from the dead The person that shot me is in prison for 220 years I am also a motvational inpirationl speaker I am also I am a full time Pastor Reaching out to the disabled community see my web or call me 317/272/0897 Dr Richard Armstrong Sr Pastor Thank you for wonderful web site

  2. Joleen says:

    Thank you for posting up this site! I am a domestic violence survivor, having sustained a spinal cord injury in October of 2008. I wish I would have been allowed the rehabilitation path directly following my injury, instead I was locked in by my abusive (now exhusband) and his family and didn’t receive any ‘real’ help until nearly two years post injury. The road to recovery is not always easy or quick, rather slow and steady, remaining positive as possible along the journey. I’ve learned that living my life the best I possibly can simply involved relearning how to do the basics on my own, this isn’t an obstacle unless I allow it to become one in my mind. I’m glad to see some good informative information about spinal cord injuries posted on your site, there’s power in knowledge!

  3. Vinayaka Halemane says:

    Before I came to this website, I knew very little about Spinal Cord Injuries. But courtesy of Roger Ebert, I got here and after reading this and seeing the Interactive Spinal Cord Injury Map, I have learnt so much about it.

    This is a beautiful website with quality content and I want to congratulate and thank the people behind it for helping people with the injury and also for bringing awareness about it. Keep up the good work!

    I sincerely hope people with the injury will find this website useful.

  4. RAMcdonald says:

    RAMcdonald when I decided to st this spinal surgery on my spinal I was going through some pain I couldn’t bear,I got true of getting shots in my back every six,months,which was lasting but four months and had to go through pain for the other two months be for I could get more shots,I got so tire,something had to be done,so it got to the point I had to make a big choice,I was 63at that time,I talk it over with some of my family members,most throught it was a bad choice,cause I waiting so long,but I let them have there say,but I had to make the last choice,so I went and done the surgery,back in Sept,4_2014 I throught it would be heal by now,after surgery I was send to a nursing home,cause my walking conditions,wasn’t working for me.I stay there six weeks,had physical therapy,come to my house for four weeks,now I see that I need physical therapy again,I doctor tell me it take a year or better before I might see improvement,I already suffer from depression this is more on my plate,to worry about,I am on SSAdisabilty and what I get it’s not enough,but I can’t stay on my feet that long and don’t have any resource about where I can get a sit down Job with out haven’t the skills to do sit down work,most of my Jobs,when I was working was out side work.I be on depression for about 15 years cause of my family members during off and just could handle the pressure,now I have created another problem so now I really wonder is I am going to ever get my life back that I left,since I been this way I don’t get out anymore,I use to pertact my self out in the street,but now I am ever careful about where I go and who to trust,my life was getting better before this surgery but now I be wondering if things going to get worst be force they getting better,am thinking in them terms cause it has gotten better as of yet,is any body out there that could give me some insight,on what can I do and some of the stuff I use to do,I can’t dance any more something I use to enjoy a lot cause I can’t stand but so long now,I am tired of taking pain pills,is there any one out there that can help me,in any kind of way,I Shaw appreciate.

  5. Vickey says:

    Truly when someone doesn’t understand then its up too other people that they
    wil help, so here it happens.

  6. Susan says:

    Where is the interactive spinal cord map mentioned in the article?

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