Spinal Cord Injury

Jose’ Dempere

What is a Spinal Cord Injury?

• Simply put, anything that damages the spinal cord, the bunch of nerves protected by your vertebrae.

What Causes it?

• Sports account for only 8% of all spinal cord injuries.

A strong impact to the spine/neck would do it. It is a threat when:

Playing Contact Sports

Diving in Shallow Water

Symptoms?• That’s simple. Loss of motion or feeling in limbs are the major

ones.

The technical terms are paralysis and analgesia.

Paralysis

• Two types: Paraplegia and Quadriplegia.

Paraplegia: Quadriplegia:

Legs Only. All Limbs.

How it works

Healthy Spinal Cord

Damaged Spinal Cord

How does this injury affect Movement?

• It all depends on location. The higher up in your spinal cord, the less chance of mobility.

As said by Charlie…

• As an athletic trainer, you should first:

Look for movement as you get to the athlete.

Check consciousness once you’re there.

See if they’re breathing.

If they are breathing, tend to the spine.

Keep the spine aligned by the neck until EMTs arrive.

If they were injured in the water, though… SPINE BOARD THEM!

Treatment?

• Spinal Cord Injury is a serious injury. It is possible to recover with physical therapy, but may not be totally reversible. Luckily, there are new methods coming out…

Method 1: Robot Suit

• I’m not joking.

Manipulated by center of gravity coupled with a remote.

Works only with paraplegics– they need to be able to handle the remote!

Supposedly also helps self-esteem-interacting eye-to eye.

Method 2: Regenerating the Spinal Cord

• Still not joking.

•Stem cells are used to repair and re-bridge the spinal tissue.

•Currently works on rats, might soon be tested on humans.

Avoiding Spinal Cord Injury

DEAD SIMPLEWEAR PROTECTION

DIVE OFF THE RIGHT END!

Works Cited• http://www.argomedtec.com/• http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/06/22/stem.ce

lls.cnn/index.html• http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/spinal-cord-inj

ury/DS00460/DSECTION=symptoms• http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.ht

ml?entry=t128.e669&srn=4&ssid=688024861#FIRSTHIT

• http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?entry=t161.e6656&srn=1&ssid=688024861#FIRSTHIT

• http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?entry=t128.e891&srn=2&ssid=688024861#FIRSTHIT

• http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?entry=t235.e1169&srn=8&ssid=688024861#FIRSTHIT

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinal_cord_injury• I interviewed Charlie.