Category Archives: Spinal Cord Injury Treatment

September 30 - October 1, 1996 Table of Contents: Top Among the most exciting frontiers in medicine is the repair of traumatic injuries to the spinal cord. Improvements in treatment are helping many more people survive spinal cord injury. Yet most spinal cord injuries still cause lifelong disability, and continued research is critically needed. To explore new directions for research on spinal cord injury, the National Institutes of Health sponsored a scientific workshop on September 30 - October 1, 1996. The workshop, Spinal Cord Injury: Emerging Concepts, brought together experts from the field of spinal cord injury research and leaders from other fields such as development, immunology, and stroke. The normal spinal cord coordinates movement and sensation in the body. It is a complex organ containing nerve cells, supporting cells, and nerve fibers to and from the brain. The spinal cord is arranged in segments, with higher segments controlling movement and sensation in upper parts of the body and lower segments controlling the lower parts of the body. The consequences of injury reflect this organization. The types of disability associated with spinal cord injury vary greatly depending on the type and severity of the injury, the level of the cord … Continue reading →

What is the spinal cord? The spinal cord is a collection of nerves that travels from the bottom of the brain down your back. There are 31 pairs of nerves that leave the spinal cord and go to your arms, legs, chest and abdomen. These nerves allow your brain to give commands to your muscles and cause movements of your arms and legs. The nerves that control your arms exit from the upper portion of the spinal cord, while the nerves to your legs exit from the lower portion of the spinal cord. The nerves also control the function of your organs including your heart, lungs, bowels, and bladder. For example, signals from the spinal cord control how fast your heart beats and your rate of breathing. Other nerves travel from your arms and legs back to the spinal cord. These nerves bring back information from your body to your brain including the senses of touch, pain, temperature, and position. The spinal cord runs through the spinal canal. This canal is surrounded by the bones in your neck and back called vertebrae which make up your back bone. The vertebrae are divided into 7 neck (cervical) vertebrae, 12 chest (thoracic) … Continue reading →

For years we have seen immobilized rats walking after getting an injection of stem cells for their spinal cord injuries. The good thing is that along the way, stem cells have started to be used in studies and experimental therapies to attempt to get SCI patients walking again. While the results for humans have not been nearly as miraculous as for mice, many patients have reported, and some studies have shown, that these early treatments do bring back some sensory ability and improved motor function. Most importantly, a good percentage of patients who have received stem cell transplantsfeel that the treatment has helped not only to improve their quality of life but also that of their caretaker. Clinical trials and studies using stem cell treatment for spinal cord injuries have been done in Argentina, China, Portugal and are now starting in the United States. The signs are quite positive that within ten to fifteen years, stem cell treatment will be widely available to the general public. The stem cells that being tested in clinical trials today in the west will be approved for medical use for the public in ten years. For patients who dont want to wait for this … Continue reading →

Spinal cord injuries can be devastating leading to partial or complete paralysis. Spinal cord injuries were once frequently fatal, but over the past fifty years many new treatments have been developed to help people with spinal cord injuries survive and possibly recover a great deal of function. Within the past twenty years, even more promising treatments have been developed for spinal cord injury. Treatment of spinal cord injury may involve medication, and surgery, and always requires physical therapy. Spinal cord injury may be due to either traumatic or non-traumatic causes. Non-traumatic causes of spinal cord injury occur over time and include arthritis, cancer, infection, blood vessels problems, bleeding, and inflammation. In the case of traumatic spinal cord injury due to an accident, immediate, comprehensive trauma care is crucial for both survival and long-term outcome. A competent trauma team can do much to minimize the spread of damage from a spinal cord injury. The long-term prognosis for a spinal cord injury depends on the nature and location of the injury, as well as the quality of care received. If emergency medical personnel suspect you have sustained a spinal injury, they will do everything possible to prevent further injury. While medics work … Continue reading →

This website was created to help Spinal Cord Injury patients and their families and friends with up-to-date information about spinal cord injuries (SCI). We have a summary of the type of injury, its classification and prognosis based on the severity of the injury. We have also gathered vital information on coping with the personal and financial effects of a spinal cord injury, which may be difficult to deal with without the proper preparation. Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI) occurs when a traumatic event results in damage to cells within the spinal cord or severs the nerve tracts that relay signals up and down the spinal cord. Spinal cord injuries occur in approximately 12,000 to 15,000 people per year in the U.S. About 10,000 of these people are permanently paralyzed, and many of the rest die as a result of their injuries. Most spinal cord trauma occurs to young, healthy individuals. Males between 15 and 35 years old are most commonly affected. As a spinal cord injury is very serious it is very important to examine your medical treatment options. The Treatment Options section describes the different types of treatments such as medication, rehabilitation, and clinical trial information. In our Financial Assistance … Continue reading →

How Does a Spinal Cord Injury Affect the Rest of the Body? People who survive a spinal cord injury will most likely have medical complications such as chronic pain and bladder and bowel dysfunction, along with an increased susceptibility to respiratory and heart problems. Successful recovery depends upon how well these chronic conditions are handled day to day. Any injury to the spinal cord at or above the C3, C4, and C5 segments, which supply the phrenic nerves leading to the diaphragm, can stop breathing. People with these injuries need immediate ventilatory support. When injuries are at the C5 level and below, diaphragm function is preserved, but breathing tends to be rapid and shallow and people have trouble coughing and clearing secretions from their lungs because of weak thoracic muscles. Once pulmonary function improves, a large percentage of those with C4 injuries can be weaned from mechanical ventilation in the weeks following the injury. Respiratory complications, primarily as a result of pneumonia, are a leading cause of death in people with spinal cord injury. In fact, intubation increases the risk of developing ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) by 1 to 3 percent per day of intubation. More than a quarter of the … Continue reading →

A spinal cord injury (SCI) refers to any injury to the spinal cord that is caused by trauma instead of disease.[1] Depending on where the spinal cord and nerve roots are damaged, the symptoms can vary widely, from pain to paralysis to incontinence.[2][3] Spinal cord injuries are described at various levels of "incomplete", which can vary from having no effect on the patient to a "complete" injury which means a total loss of function. Treatment of spinal cord injuries starts with restraining the spine and controlling inflammation to prevent further damage. The actual treatment can vary widely depending on the location and extent of the injury. In many cases, spinal cord injuries require substantial physical therapy and rehabilitation, especially if the patient's injury interferes with activities of daily life. Spinal cord injuries have many causes, but are typically associated with major trauma from motor vehicle accidents, falls, sports injuries, and violence. Research into treatments for spinal cord injuries includes controlled hypothermia and stem cells, though many treatments have not been studied thoroughly and very little new research has been implemented in standard care. The American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) first published an international classification of spinal cord injury in 1982, … Continue reading →

Causes of spinal cord injuries include motor vehicle accidents (44%), acts of violence (24%), falls (22%), sports (two-thirds of these are from diving accidents) (8%), and other (2%). Statistics differ somewhat in other countries - in Canada and western Europe, injuries due to violence are rare, while in developing countries, violence is even more common. Statistics show that the summer is the worst time for spinal cord injuries, with July having the highest incidence. They happen more frequently on weekends and at nights. Most people who get spinal cord injuries are male (82%) and the median age at the time of injury is 31.7 years. About 10,000 Americans suffer SCI every year. Approximately 250,000 Americans are living with some form of SCI. Learn more about the anatomy of the spine, how spinal injuries occur, and the level of the spinal cord injury. Men make up at least eighty percent of all cases. Alcohol plays a big role in SCI, accounting for at least twenty five percent of cases. Preexisting spinal disease can cause some people to be more susceptible to getting SCI. These include: There are several types of sci or spinal cord injury treatment. Rehabilitation hospitals provide several different … Continue reading →

Spinal cord trauma is damage to the spinal cord. It may result from direct injury to the cord itself or indirectly from disease of the surrounding bones, tissues, or blood vessels.A.D.A.M. Spinal cord trauma can be caused by a number of injuries to the spine, including: A minor injury can cause spinal cordinjury if the spine is weakened (such as from rheumatoid arthritis or osteoporosis) or if the spinal canal protecting the spinal cord has become too narrow (spinal stenosis) due to the normal aging process. Direct injury, such as cuts, can occur to the spinal cord,especially if the bones or the disks have been weakened. Fragments of bone (for example, from broken vertebrae, which are the spine bones) or fragments of metal (such as from a traffic accident or gunshot) can cut or damage the spinal cord. Direct damage can also occur if the spinal cord is pulled, pressed sideways, or compressed. This may occur if the head, neck, or back are twisted abnormally during an accident or intense chiropractic manipulation. Bleeding, fluid buildup, and swelling can occur inside or outside the spinal cord (but within the spinal canal). Thebuildup of blood or fluid canpress onthe spinal cord and … Continue reading →

Your spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that runs down the middle of your back. It carries signals back and forth between your body and your brain. A spinal cord injury disrupts the signals. Spinal cord injuries usually begin with a blow that fractures or dislocates your vertebrae, the bone disks that make up your spine. Most injuries don't cut through your spinal cord. Instead, they cause damage when pieces of vertebrae tear into cord tissue or press down on the nerve parts that carry signals. Spinal cord injuries can be complete or incomplete. With a complete spinal cord injury, the cord can't send signals below the level of the injury. As a result, you are paralyzed below of injury. With an incomplete injury, you have some movement and sensation below the injury. A spinal cord injury is a medical emergency. Immediate treatment can reduce long-term effects. Treatments may include medicines, braces or traction to stabilize the spine, and surgery. Later treatment usually includes medicines and rehabilitation therapy. Mobility aids and assistive devices may help you to get around and do some daily tasks. NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Read more here: Spinal Cord Injuries: MedlinePlus … Continue reading →