Spinal Injuries - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Spinal cord trauma is damage to the spinal cord. It may result from direct injury to the cord itself or indirectly from damage to surrounding bones, soft tissues, and blood vessels. Spinal cord injury is a serious condition that affects lives dramatically. The spinal cord is critical for sending messages to and from the brain and other parts of the body. The spinal cord is a column that runs from the base of the brain to the lower back. With the brain, it makes up the central nervous system. The spinal cord often is injured when vertebrae are broken or fractured and axons are damaged. Damage prevents messages from getting through, causing a number of problems. Spinal injuries can happen to anyone, at any age. However, men between the ages of 19 and 26 are more likely to have a spinal cord injury due to an accident or some act of violence. Other causes of spinal cord injury include infection or disease, such as cysts on the spinal cord, multiple sclerosis, or cervical spondylosis. 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 injury.

Most trauma to the spinal cord causes permanent disability or loss of movement and sensation below the site of the injury. Other kinds of injuries that directly penetrate the spinal cord, such as gunshot or knife wounds, can either completely or partially sever the spinal cord and create life-long disabilities. Spinal cord injuries are classified as either complete or incomplete.  An incomplete injury means that the ability of the spinal cord to convey messages to or from the brain is not completely lost. A complete injury is indicated by a total lack of sensory and motor function below the level of injury. If untreated, it can result in unconsciousness, seizures, cerebral hemorrhage, and death. A spinal cord trauma is a medical emergency requiring immediate treatment to reduce the long-term effects. Methylprednisolone (Medrol) is a treatment option for acute spinal cord injury.

Causes of Spinal injuries

The common causes and risk factor's of Spinal injuries:

• Sports and recreation injuries.
• Cancer, infections, arthritis and inflammation of the spinal cord.
• Bullet or stab wound.
• Direct trauma to the face, neck, head, or back.
• Major blow to the head or chest, car accident, fall from a great height.
• Electric shock.

Symptoms of Spinal injuries

Some sign and symptoms related to Spinal Injuries are as follows:

• Difficulty breathing.
• Inability to move or to feel sensations (e.g., cold, heat, touch).
• Numbness and weakness.
• Severe pain and pressure in the back or neck.
• An oddly positioned or twisted neck or back.

Treatment of Spinal injuries

• Methylprednisolone (Medrol) is a treatment option for acute spinal cord injury. Methylprednisolone works by reducing damage to nerve cells and decreasing inflammation near the site of injury.
• Occasionally, emergency surgery is necessary to remove fragments of bones, foreign objects, herniated disks or fractured vertebrae that appear to be compressing the spine.
• Bedrest may be needed to allow the bones of the spine, which bears most of the weight of the body, to heal.
• Extensive physical therapy, occupational therapy, and other rehabilitation interventions are often required after the acute injury has healed.
• Spasticity can be reduced by many oral medications, medications that are injected into the spinal canal, or injections of botulinum toxins into the muscles.