By: Sakina AdamsMarch 6, 2013

Psychology

Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal Cord Injury

CAUSE …

Spinal Cord Injuries lead to a range of mobility impairments. Car accidents are the most common, this is followed by falls, violence and sports. Because these injuries usually happen from physical, violent activities; males account for over 80% of spinal cord injuries. Tumors can also cause spinal injuries, as can congenital disorders such as spinal bifida. Sometimes a stroke can be the cause of a spinal cord injury. Rheumatoid arthritis or osteoporosis, “which is the thinning of the bones” can increase the chance of injury when there is already trauma to the spine.

TRANSMITTED …

There is no actual way that a spinal cord injury can be transmitted. Some people can be faced with having spinal cord problems at birth.

spine injury

The Central Nervous System is made up of the spinal cord and brain. The spinal cord runs from the base of the brain and down the middle of the back but stops above right above the waist. Nerves the CNS will not regenerate once they have been injured. So once the spinal cord is injured the patient will suffer varying degrees of paralysis if these axons become destroyed. The PNS is coordinated by the CNS.

-muscle weakness or paralysis -breathing difficulties -loss of sensation or numbness -pain -reduced control of body temperature -incontinence due to loss of bladder control (neurogenic bladder) -faecal incontinence and constipation due to loss of bowel control-erectile dysfunction

Prognosis ….

There is no cure for a Spinal Cord injury. There are multiple treatments that can be taken place. When the spinal cord is damaged, significant swelling of the spinal cord including the surrounding areas occurs. Nerve cells continue to deteriorate. A large variety of treatment strategies to limit the process is still under investigation.

Christopher Reeve Nikki Stone

American Spinal AssociationCenter for Paralysis ResearchChristopher and Dana Reeve

FoundationFacing DisabilityLife Goes on

Robinson, R. (2002). Spinal Cord Injury. In D. S. Blanchfield & J. L. Longe (Eds.), The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine (2nd ed., Vol. 4, pp. 3128-3132). Detroit: Gale. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CCX3405601473&v=2.1&u=cary81451&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w

Spinal Cord Injury. (2007). In Sick!. Gale. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CTX2643900122&v=2.1&u=cary81451&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w