Spinal cord injury causes myelopathy or damage to white matter or myelinated fiber tracts that carry sensation and motor signals to and from the brain. It also damages gray matter in the central part of the spinal, causing segmental losses of interneurons and motorneurons. Spinal cord injury can occur from many causes, including:
Trauma such as automobile crashes, falls, gunshots, diving accidents, etc.
Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) is damage to the spinal cord that results in a loss of function such as mobility or feeling. The spinal cord does not have to be severed in order for a loss of functioning to occur. In fact, in most people with SCI, the spinal cord is intact, but the damage to it results in loss of functioning. SCI is very different from back injuries such as ruptured disks, spinal stenosis or pinched nerves.
A person can "break their back or neck" yet not sustain a spinal cord injury if only the bones around the spinal cord (the vertebrae) are damaged, but the spinal cord is not affected. In these situations, the individual may not experience paralysis after the bones are stabilized. If the spinal cord is damaged, the person may experience various degrees of paralysis based upon where the injury to the cord occurred.
If you have been injured in any type of accident and suffered spinal cord damage, I encourage you to contact my office for a free evaluation.
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