Post Spinal Cord Injury Analysis

Physiotherapists at a specialist centre in London are helping people with spinal cord injuries to get fit, achieve personal rehab goals and receive life-long care.

In the year of 2010 I suffered from a spinal cord injury from attempting to make a tackle during football practice. I was immediately paralyzed from the chest down with fracturing my C-4 and C-5 vertebras. With me

Spinal cord injuries result from a fracture or dislocation of the vertebrae that is typically due to a sudden, forceful blow to the spine (“NINDS Spinal Cord Injury Information Page”, 2016). According to Early (2006), A traumatic accident, such as a shooting, stabbing, car accident, or diving accident, may result in a spinal cord injury (p. 535). According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (2016), Damage to the spinal tissue results from displaced or shards of vertebral bone fragments, damaged ligaments, or discs that bruise or tear the delicate tissue and destroy axons. Destruction of axons result in the inability to carry signals from the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body (“NINDS Spinal Cord Injury

There are many causes of the spinal cord injuries such as the vehicular accidents, falls, recreational activities and work place injuries. The spinal cord injury can also occur in medical negligence cases involving the surgical procedures in the neck and back.

While true spinal cord trauma is a devastating injury its actual incidence is extremely low. In a study that examined one million trauma victims, only 2% had true spinal cord damage and of that 2%, only 1% had neurological deficits of any kind. Moreover, there is little data to suggest that our efforts at spinal immobilization are even effective. (Santa Cruz County EMS Integration Authority, 2012, para. 2)

Williams, Margie. Journey to Well: Learning to Live after Spinal Cord Injury. Newcastle, CA: Altarfire Pub., 1997. Print.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a disabling condition that makes the individual dependent on others for performing their living and professional activities (2,3). Typically, a wide range of such services are provided by a caregiver or family members and relatives of the injured person (1,3). The World Health Organization (WHO) defines caregiver as “A person who provides support and assistance, formal or informal, with various activities to persons with disabilities or long-term conditions, or persons who are elderly. This person may provide emotional or financial support, as well as hands-on help with different tasks. Care giving may also be done from long distance”.1

In an individual with quadriplegia due to SCI, injury is usually sustained to one or more of the vertebral structures of the spinal column between the levels of C1 and T1, causing damage to one or more of the first eight spinal nerves. When naming the level of injury, the specific vertebral segment involved will be identified by the first letter in which it is named followed by the last spinal nerve root which remains intact; for example, if an individual has a fracture to a cervical vertebra and innervation of the triceps remains, the injury would be identified as a C7 injury. The American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) developed a guide to help identify the level of injury called the ASIA International Standards for Neurological Classification

Spinal cord injuries can be devastating leading to quadriplegia and even requiring that a patient be on a respirator and feeding tube. The incidence of survived injuries in the US is estimated at about 276,000. Less than 1% of patients with cervical spinal cord injuries will leave a hospital with full neurological recovery. Spinal cord injuries also prevent victims from working. After ten years post-injury only 28% of patients are employed. These injuries lead to necrosis at the site of the injury and form cyst like holes causing gaps in neural circuitry. Axons of neurons in the spinal cord most often don’t regenerate and begin to retract towards their somas.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating event that often leads to extreme losses of motor, sensory, and autonomic nervous system functions. Additionally, up to two-thirds of all SCIs develop chronic neuropathic pain syndromes, severely decreasing the quality of life for affected individuals (1, 2). A typical SCI results from a traumatic force exerted on the spinal cord, resulting in immediate tissue destruction at the time of impact referred to as primary SCI. The tissue adjacent to the injury immediately becomes vulnerable to a secondary cascade of vascular, biochemical, and inflammatory changes that advance tissue degeneration and lead to neurological dysfunction referred to as secondary SCI (3, 4). The inflammatory response is the most

vThe spinal cord is well-protected anatomically with barriers, vertebra, muscles of the back, and the meninges. A considerable force is required to cause trauma to the neural tissue of the spinal cord. This can be laceration or maceration by a sharp penetrating object; contusion or compression, the most common form of spinal cord injury; or infarct by vascular insult. All of these injury forces begin the process of tissue destruction we term the primary injury.

There are four main phases of spinal shock. They are Hyporeflexia that is due to loss of descending facilitation which is the first phase that last for approximately a day. The second phase initial reflex returns and denervation super sensitivity which occurs within 1-3 days of the spinal shock (Silver, 1970). The third phase takes up to four weeks it’s the initial Hyperreflexia with axon-supported synapse growth. The last phase is the Hyperreflexia and spasticity through

A spinal cord injury does not occur in a single moment. Instead damage will continue to ensue for days to weeks after the initial injury. The initial impact and injury causes the immediate damage and death of oligodendrocytes and motor neurons. However, another wave of damage is caused by the secondary processes that occur after the injury. The spinal cord is a bundle of nervous tissue and neurons protected by the vertebral column that transmits electrical synapses, or messages, from the brain to the rest of the body. It is composed of three layers of membranes and is protected by the bony vertebrae that make up our vertebral column. The spinal cord upon impact will swell and secrete chemicals which will cause an inflammatory response and will kill neighboring cells increasing the amount of functioning lost throughout the body. The swelling can also cut off the blood flow to the

Spinal cord injury is a damage to any part of the spinal cord or nerves which often causes permanent changes. A spinal cord injury happens because of a sudden blow or cut to the spine. The causes of spinal cord injuries could be from a car accident, a sports injury, a fall or an assault such as a gunshot or knife wound. A spinal cord injury can also be caused by disease, such as arthritis or polio. Arthritis is inflammation

This paper will speak of, women with spinal cord injury (SCI) and the changes in their sexual function in both physical and emotional. It is common for women with spinal cord injury to be unsure as to whether or not they can give or receive sexual pleasure. Some people may experience a loss of self-satisfaction, confidence and self-worth. As time continues to pass, women who experience spinal cord injury begin to express great appreciation for sexuality. This paper will explain the opportunities for sexual exploration among disabled women, particularly the young, were it can be very limited. I will cover the general reduction in life choices and its impact on self-esteem, which in turn affects sexuality by making the tendency of a woman with