Spinal trauma is an injury that occurs in any area of the spinal cord, which can cause permanent changes in motor and sensory functions in the body area below the injury. Traumatic injury can be complete, in which there is a total loss of motor and sensory function below where the injury occurs, or incomplete, in which this loss is partial.
Trauma can occur during a fall or traffic accident, for example, which are situations that need to be addressed immediately to avoid aggravating the injury. Unfortunately, there is still no treatment that denies damage caused by spinal cord injury, however, there are measures that help prevent the injury from getting worse and help the person adjust to a new lifestyle.
- Signs and symptoms of a spinal cord injury depend on the severity of the injury and the area where it occurs.
- The person may become paraplegic.
- When only part of the trunk.
- Legs and pelvic area.
- Or quadriplegic.
- Is affected when the entire body is reached below the neck.
Spinal cord injuries can cause the following signs and symptoms
Although control of the bladder and intestines is lost, these structures continue to function normally. The bladder continues to store urine and the intestine continues to perform its digestive functions, however, there are communication difficulties between the brain and these structures to remove urine and faeces, increasing the risk of developing infections or forming stones. in the kidneys.
In addition to these symptoms, at the time of injury, there may also be severe back pain or pressure on the neck and head, weakness, uncoordination or paralysis in any area of the body, numbness, tingling and loss of sensation in the hands. toes and toes, difficulties. to walk and maintain balance, shortness of breath or even crooked neck or back position.
After an accident, fall or something that may have caused a spinal cord injury, you should avoid moving the injured person and immediately call for a medical emergency.
Spine injuries can result from damage to the vertebrae, ligaments or spinal discs or directly to the spinal cord itself, due to traffic accidents, falls, combat, violent sports, diving in a place with little water or in the wrong position, injury to a person. or even for diseases such as arthritis, cancer, spinal disc infection or degeneration.
The severity of the injury may change or improve after a few hours, days, or weeks, which may be related to average care, accurate diagnosis, rapid care, reduced edema, and medications that can be used.
Your doctor may use several diagnostic methods to understand if there has been a spinal cord injury and the severity of that injury, and an X-ray is often indicated as an initial exam to identify spinal changes, tumors, fractures, or other changes in your spine. .
In addition, you can also use a CT scan to better see abnormalities detected on the x-ray, or an MRI that identifies herniated disks, blood clots, or other factors that can put pressure on your spinal cord.
It is not yet possible to reverse the damage caused by a spinal cord injury, however, research for possible new treatments is still ongoing. However, what can be done in these cases is to prevent the injury from getting worse and, if necessary, resorting to surgery to remove bone fragments or foreign objects.
To do this, it is very important to create a rehabilitation team that helps the person adapt to their new life, both physically and psychologically. This team must have a physical therapist, occupational therapist, rehabilitation nurse, psychologist, social worker, nutritionist and orthopedist or neurosurgeon specializing in spinal cord injuries.
Medical care at the time of the accident is also very important, as it can prevent more injuries, and the faster the initial care, diagnosis and treatment, the better the progress and quality of life of the person. .