Spinal cord injuries remain one of the most feared of all potential injuries someone could suffer in a crash. Many people have an intense fear of losing motor function or sensation in part of their body, which makes a spinal cord injury seem particularly debilitating, even though people adjust to spinal cord injuries with counseling, physical therapy and necessary accommodations.
Not all spinal cord injuries have the same impact on the body. The placement of the injury itself has a direct influence on how much of an impact it will have on the person.
Spinal injuries usually affect the body below the injury site
The spinal cord helps connect your brain with the nerves that run throughout your entire body. When you hurt or cut the spinal cord, that impacts its ability to communicate with the body below the site of the injury.
Typically, the area above the injury won’t wind up impacted by the injury. That means the lower on the spine a spinal cord injury is, the greater the impact it will have on the victim. A lumbar spinal injury may only impact the use of one’s legs, while an injury to the neck or upper shoulders could prevent someone from using their legs and their arms.
Complete spinal cord injuries are currently not treatable, which means that the consequences for the patient will be permanent. However in an incomplete spinal cord injury, where the cord isn’t fully severed but rather torn or partially cut, recovery of some or all of the sensation and motor function below the injury site may be possible.
If you suffered a spinal cord injury or your loved one has, treatment can be expensive. Find out how you can obtain the compensation you need to get the care that you deserve.