Spinal cord injuries don’t always lead to permanent paralysis. There are times when the spinal cord suffers from a trauma that doesn’t lead to anything permanent. This doesn’t mean that the immediate impacts aren’t serious or hard to deal with, but it might be possible that you won’t have to live with the impacts forever.
There are many different points that you should know about spinal cord injuries. Let’s examine a few of them.
Types of injury vary
There are many different types of spinal cord trauma. These include swelling, bleeding, bruising and fluid build up. They can come from the direct impact to the spinal cord or from indirect trauma. Unusual twisting, pulling or compression of the spinal cord can lead to the spine becoming damaged.
Cause of the injury
The cause of the spinal cord injury can also vary considerably. Typically, spinal cord injuries are the result of an accident. This can include a motor vehicle accident, diving into too shallow water, or taking part in risky activities. When it comes to high-impact spinal cord injuries, the group most commonly impacted are males who are 15 to 35 years old.
Symptoms of spinal trauma
Some people will experience pain and sensory changes with this type of injury. They might also lose normal bladder and bowel control. This can manifest as difficulty using the restroom, spasms or incontinence. Numbness, paralysis and weakness can occur. Sometimes, spasticity, or increased muscle tone, results from the injury.
The symptoms of the injury can happen on one side of the body, but can also affect both sides. Other issues, such as blood pressure problems and trouble maintaining a normal body temperature can occur.
Diagnosis and treatment
There are many different tests that can be done to check the spinal cord. Nerve conduction tests, x-rays, myelograms, CT scans, MRIs and electromyography testing are a few of them.
Once damage to the spinal cord is diagnosed, immediate treatment is necessary. Rapid treatment can help to improve the ultimate outcome of the case. Often, one of the keys to treating a spinal cord injury is treating the swelling. Corticosteroids are sometimes used for this purpose.
In some cases, surgery is necessary. Recovery from this can be difficult, but physical therapy and occupational therapy can help with the recovery process.
With the considerable care that is required after a spinal cord injury and the time you have to take off work, seeking compensation is something to consider.
