Spina Brifida Essay

Spina Bifida literally means “split spine”. It is the most common permanent disabling birth defect in the United States. It happens when the brain, spinal cord do not completely develop. It is the most common neural tube defect in the United States- affecting 1500 to 2000 of more than four million babies in each year. An estimate shows 166,000 individual lives with Spina Bifida in the United States. I choose this disorder because many people do not about the effects, causes, symptoms and treatments about the disorder and I wanted to know more about spina bifida.

* Following a SCI, the first priority is often to help the patient develop as much possible strength in the

Spina bifida is a type of birth defect called a neural tube defect, it happens if the spinal column of the fetus does not close completely during the first month or pregnancy, that can damage the nerves and spinal cord" (U.S National Library Medicine, 2014). Spina bifida's symptoms are defending on how severe the defect is. Children with mild form of spina bifida do not have any problems. According to WebMD, children with the most severe form often, have spine, and brain issues that cause serious problems (2014). Scientists believed that spina bifida is caused by a condition of genetic and environmental factors such as the mother's nutrition. "The long-term problems associated with spina bifida are; bowel problems, muscles movement, sensation, intellect and education, sexual function, emotional and family support (which are the most, needed on both affected person and their family), and urine and kidney problem; almost all

I walk into the cold, white hospital, my hands are sweating and my knees are shaking. Even though I have done this every six months since I was twelve years old, it never gets easier. I find a seat in the corner of the waiting room, embarrassed by the large, plastic, butterfly printed scoliosis brace I hold tightly against my side. The door opens, a nurse dressed in plain navy blue scrubs calls out “Emma for Dr. Meyers”. She leads my mom and me down a long hallway, and into a small, brightly lit room. The curse that is scoliosis is hereditary, which means my mom has it, and each of my sisters has been touched by this cruel disease that bends the spine as well. Scoliosis is a curvature of the spine that occurs during the growth period just before and through puberty.

There are several different types of spina bifida, each affecting the spine differently. These different categories also affect mental, social, and physical characteristics and can lead to other disorders. Common types of spina bifida include occult spinal dysraphism (OSD), spina bifida occulta, meningocele, and myelomeningocele (SBM) (Liptak,

In Canada, a clinical study by De Wals et al was performed to assess whether or not folic acid fortification has an effect on the recurrence of NTDs (neural tube defects), especially on upper and lower birth defects called spina bifida (De Wals et al., 2008). The study was performed in three different regions in Canada: the eastern, western and central provinces (De Wals et al., 2008). Furthermore, the population of the study was conducted on three different types of births which were livebirths, stillbirths, and termination of pregnancies, and the study was carried out through three periods included prefortification, partial fortification and full fortifications (De Wals et al., 2008). The researchers followed the scientific investigation

No one really knows the exact cause of the disease but it has been predicted that genetics and the environment that the person is in may actually play a big role when it comes to catching the disease.

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is brain damage. It cannot be cured, it is not contagious, it is not a disease, and it does not get worse. According to Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, "Cerebral Palsy is a broad term for various nonprogressive disorders of motor function in people, resulting from brain damage around the time of birth. Damage to the brain could occur before, during, or shortly after birth"(“Cerebral”). Since the damage is done during the brain’s formation, and occurs in the part of the brain that controls motor and muscle functions, people with CP might have problems with motor skills, muscle tone, muscle weakness, reflexes, balance, excessive drooling, difficulties swallowing or speaking, shaking, tremors, and

The spine is one of the most important structures in the human body. The spine is located in the dorsal cavity and consists of 24 bones, called vertebrae. These vertebrae play a crucial role in protected the body’s command center, the spinal cord. But what happens when a disorder prevents the spinal column from functioning correctly? Scoliosis is a musculoskeletal disorder that causes abnormal lateral curvature of the spine and it effects millions of people in the US per year. I have chosen this disorder because I am aspiring to become a chiropractor and scoliosis is a typical condition that chiropractors help treat on a daily basis.

Cerebral palsy refers to a group of chronic disorders that involve degrees of brain damage that affect body control and movement. The term cerebral refers to the brain, while palsy describes a disorder that impairs the control of body movement. These disorders are not the result of muscles or nerves problems. Instead, they are due to impaired motor areas in the brain that disrupt its ability to control movement and posture. The condition typically appears within the first few years of life and it is not marked by regression. (Mecham, 1986)

Many people all around the world may come across symptoms of having scoliosis. Mostly girls from ages 10 to 16 get a curve of about 10 degrees. Scoliosis is the curvature of the spine and mostly occurs in adolescent years. Scoliosis may be identified during a physical examination by bending forward to see if your back is completely straight and if your shoulder blades are balanced. During my research process i found out that a lot of people at my school have scoliosis.

When i was born, my spine was not fully formed at the bottom, leaving an opening that would be the cause difficulties my entire life. I was diagnosed with Spina Bifida Occulta. Spina Bifida is an incurable birth defect where the vertebrae is defective causing the spinal cord to fail a proper development. In most cases of Spina Bifida the person is wheelchair bound their entire life along with other major health problems. Despite this, step by step I began walking on my own just under one year old.

Spinal cord injury is a serious problem that effects close to 250,000 people in the United States with 10,000 people being injured per year . There are many things that can lead to spinal cord injury, including athletic injuries, car accidents, and recreational activities like swimming and biking. It primarily effects those between the ages of 16 and 30 and drastically effects the rest of their lives. It is a very debilitating injury that requires extensive medical care, often leaves the patients in a great deal of pain for the rest of their lives(2), and the treatment of which costs $10 billion dollars a year in the US.(facts from site 1) With all of these factors spurring research on there is a strong drive to

The cause of spina bifida is unknown, however, it may play a role in genetics. Folic acid may also play a role in developing spina bifida, women who are pregnant are encouraged to take folic acid vitamins to help sustain adequate levels. It has been found that it is more commonly seen in Caucasian and Hispanic infants. The neural tube in the spine fails to close completely during the first month of pregnancy, making the vertebrae unable to form and enclose the spinal column correctly. While it endangers a vital part of the human body, the severity and damage to the infant can vary. There are 4 types of spina bifida: spina bifida occulta, closed neural tube defect, meningocele, and myelomeningocele.