How Spinal Cord Injury Affects the Body
Explanation by Dr. Ali Nemati (Neurosurgeon):
• The severity of a spinal cord injury directly affects the loss of movement and sensation in the body.
• Injury to the spinal cord in the vertebral column can cause paraplegia, affecting movement and sensation in the legs and possibly some abdominal muscles.
• Injury to the cervical spinal cord can lead to tetraplegia, impacting movement and sensation throughout the body, as well as some chest and abdominal muscles.
• The degree of loss of movement and sensation varies among individuals, even with similar injury locations.
Causes of Spinal Cord Injury:
1. Traumatic injury: Sudden impact or physical damage to the spine, including fracture, crushing, dislocation, or pressure on vertebrae, or injuries from gunshots or stabbing.
2. Secondary injury: Due to bleeding, swelling, inflammation, or fluid accumulation in and around the spinal cord days or weeks after the primary injury.
3. Non-traumatic injury: Caused by conditions such as arthritis, cancer, inflammation, infection, or spinal disc degeneration.
Signs and Symptoms:
• Loss of motor function
• Loss or alteration of sensation, including the ability to feel heat, cold, and touch
• Loss of bladder and bowel control
• Hyperactive reflexes or excessive muscle spasms
• Changes in sexual function, arousal, and fertility
• Pain or severe fatigue due to nerve fiber damage in the spinal cord
• Difficulty breathing, coughing, or clearing lung secretions