Serious Warning Signs Of A Spinal Cord Injury

The spinal cord is a thick bundle of nerves that runs down the center of the back that transmits impulses back and forth between the brain and body. A spinal cord injury occurs when some mechanism causes damage to the spinal cord that impairs the flow of these impulses. When pieces of vertebrae press on the nerves or tear into the cord tissue, spinal cord damage occurs. There are two main types of spinal cord injuries. A complete spinal cord injury occurs when no signals can be transmitted below the injury site. Incomplete spinal cord injury refers to the impairment of impulse transmission below the injury site. Most spinal cord injuries occur as the result of a motor vehicle accident, violence, disease, or sports injury. Spinal cord injury diagnosis is made with a physical examination, CT scan, CAT scan, and MRI. Treatment involves surgery, counseling, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and medications.