Spinal cord injury affects nearly half a million people in the United States and is a leading cause of disability. Here is a brief overview of SCI.
Spinal Cord & Vertebrae
The spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that is about 18 inches in length and runs down the middle of the back from the base of the brain to the waist. The bones that surround and protect the spinal cord – the spinal column or backbone – are called vertebrae. The eight vertebrae in the neck are called the cervical vertebrae, and the thoracic vertebrae are the twelve in the back.
SCI & Its Causes
Spinal cord injury, or SCI, occurs when there is damage to the spinal cord resulting in a loss of function. Trauma to the spinal cord, such as a car accident or a gunshot, is the most frequent cause of SCI. Diseases such as spina bifida can also result in SCI. The spinal cord does not have to be severed, and in most cases of SCI it remains intact, in order for a loss of function to occur.
A person can break his back or neck without sustaining a spinal cord injury if only the vertebrae are affected. Once these bones are stabilized, paralysis is very unlikely.
Levels of Injury
SCI can be broken down into two types of injury – complete and incomplete.
A complete injury means that there is no function, no sensation and no voluntary movement below the level of injury. Both sides of the body are affected equally. Injuries at this level – cervical vertebrae or neck injuries – usually result in quadriplegia.
An incomplete injury means that there is some function, sensation and voluntary movement below the level of injury and both sides of the body may not be equally affected. Incomplete spinal cord injuries, or injuries to the thoracic vertebrae, usually result in paraplegia with arm and abdominal muscle control.
Rehabilitation
After receiving the medical treatment that stabilizes a patient with SCI/D, he must go to rehab. An SCI rehabilitation program is meant to teach the individual how to care for a body that now works differently, maintain health and become an active and contributing member of society. The National Spinal Cord Injury Association recommends that all newly injured patients go to a rehabilitation center with a dedicated SCI unit.
Some Statistics
According to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia, approximately 450,000 people in the United States are living with SCI. There are 11,000 new injuries per year – that equals 30 a day. The majority of all new injuries are the result of auto accidents, sports injuries and acts of violence and most involve males between the ages of 16 – 30.
There is currently no cure for SCI. But research into spinal cord injury is advancing daily. With the advances being made by The Shepherd Center and the Christopher Reeve Foundation, among others, a cure isn’t that far away.
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