Spinal Cord Injury
Spinal cord injury is an injury or damage that occurs to the spinal cord or nerves located at the end of the spinal canal. This injury condition can cause permanent impacts on the strength, sensation, and function of other body organs.
The spinal cord functions to bridge message signals from the brain to other organs of the body. Based on the type of message sent, there are two groups of nerve cells, namely:
- Motor neuron group: A group of nerve cells that carry signals from the brain to control muscle movement.
- Sensory nerve group: This is a collection of nerve cells that carry signals from the brain to control the position of the limbs, as well as sensations related to pain, cold, heat, and pressure.
Spinal cord injuries can affect the body’s motor and sensory functions. From pain, and numbness, to paralysis. This will depend on the severity and location of the injury. The severity of the injury is divided into two, namely:
- Complete: This level of injury involves the loss of all sensory and motor abilities in the area supplied by the injured spinal cord.
- Local or Incomplete: Occurs when some sensory or motor functions are still working. This type of injury has various levels of severity.
In addition, paralysis due to spinal cord injury can be categorized into:
- Tetraplegia or quadriplegia, which can affect all four limbs, the chest, and the abdomen.
- Paraplegia, which affects the lower limbs and pelvic organs.
Spinal Cord Injury Symptoms
Spinal cord injuries can have one or more of the following symptoms:
- Loss of the ability to feel touch, heat, and cold.
- Can’t move.
- Pain or stinging sensation due to damage to spinal nerve fibers.
- Difficulty coughing, breathing, and difficulty removing fluid from the lungs.
- Loss of control over body processes related to the bowels and bladder, such as difficulty holding in urination or defecation.
- Changes related to sexual activity, sexual function, and fertility.
- Experiencing excessive reflexes or seizures.
In addition, you also need to be aware of emergency symptoms that appear after an accident as an indication of spinal cord injury, namely:
- Severe pain or pressure in the neck, head, or back.
- Tingling or numbness in the fingers, hands, toes, or feet.
- Respiratory distress after an accident.
- Difficulty maintaining body balance when walking.
- Parts of the body become weak, uncoordinated, or paralyzed. This condition can also occur after bleeding or swelling around the spinal nerves occurs.
- The neck or back is twisted in an abnormal direction. Contact a doctor immediately if someone who has just had an accident with their head or neck shows symptoms of spinal cord injury as discussed earlier. This condition can be dangerous because there is a possibility of more serious injury.
Causes of Spinal Cord Injury
The cause of spinal cord injury is damage to the spine, ligaments, spinal discs, or the spinal nerves themselves. Spinal cord injury can affect some or all of the nerve cells. For example, an injury to the lower back can affect nerve cells and the function of organs such as the legs, trunk including organs in them such as the bladder, and sexual organs.
Spinal nerve damage can be triggered by traumatic (primary) or non-traumatic (secondary) causes experienced by the spine. Some examples of causes include:
- Motor Vehicle Accidents. Accidents are the most common cause of this condition.
- Increasing Age. Especially those over 65 years old, are at risk of experiencing spinal cord injury due to falls.
- Sports or Recreational Injuries. Some athletic activities such as shallow water diving, horse riding, skiing, skateboarding, etc. carry the risk of spinal cord injury when falling.
- Violence. Injuries can range from gunshot wounds and stab wounds that cut or injure the spinal cord.
- Other Diseases. This condition can be triggered by non-traumatic injuries, such as from cancer, arthritis, inflammation, osteoporosis, bone or joint disorders, and infections or decreased number of spinal discs.
- Alcohol. Excessive alcohol use is a common cause of spinal cord injury.
Spinal Cord Injury Risk Factors
There are several risk factors that can increase a person’s risk of experiencing this disease, including:
- Gender because spinal cord injuries are more likely to occur in men.
- Age, because people aged 16-30 years or over 65 years are more susceptible to spinal cord injuries.
- Participating in high-risk activities such as jumping into shallow water or playing sports without proper protective gear can lead to spinal trauma.
- Other bone or joint diseases.
Spinal Cord Injury Diagnosis
This condition is a medical emergency so emergency treatment is needed whenever there is a suspicion of spinal cord injury. The effects of this condition may not be obvious at first so a complete medical evaluation and testing is needed.
Diagnosis begins with a physical exam and diagnostic tests. During the exam, the healthcare provider will ask about your medical history and how the injury occurred. Spinal cord injuries can cause ongoing neurological problems that require further medical follow-up. Sometimes, surgery is needed to stabilize the spinal cord after the condition becomes more acute.
Diagnostic tests may include:
- Blood test.
- X-ray. This test uses invisible electromagnetic energy rays to produce images of internal tissues, bones, and organs on film.
- Computed tomography scan (also called CT or CAT scan). An imaging test that uses X-rays and computer technology to produce detailed images (often called slices) of the body. A CT scan shows images of any part of the body, including bones, muscles, fat, and organs. CT scans are more detailed than regular X-rays.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This test uses a large magnet, radio frequencies, and a computer to produce detailed images of organs and structures inside the body.
Spinal Cord Injury Complications
There are several complications that can arise due to this condition, including:
- The skin’s ability to sense pressure, cold or heat due to this condition is hampered, making sufferers susceptible to injury or pain in areas of the skin that experience excessive pressure and are exposed to heat or cold.
- Difficulty controlling the release of urine from the bladder due to nerve cells that act as messengers have been injured. This condition can trigger urinary tract infections, kidneys, and kidney stones. The rehabilitation process will help sufferers learn how to control their bladder after injury.
- Reduced body control over the bowel movement process.
- Increased blood pressure or conversely, decreased when rising from a sitting position, to swelling in the legs which can trigger blood clots, such as deep vein thrombosis.
- Uncontrolled muscle spasms or tightness (spasticity), or conversely, muscle weakness due to reduced strength (flaccidity).
- Respiratory disorders resulting from the effects of spinal cord injury on the abdominal and chest muscles.
- Weight loss and muscle degeneration will then limit body movement which then increases the risk of obesity, diabetes, and diseases related to the heart (cardiovascular).
- Muscle, joint, or nerve pain in muscles due to overuse.
- Sexual health disorders, such as sexual organ function, fertility levels, and sexual arousal.
- Depression due to having to go through the changes the body experiences and the pain that comes with this condition.
Spinal Cord Injury Treatment
This condition requires emergency medical attention at the scene of the accident or injury. After the injury, the head and neck will be immobilized to prevent movement. This can be especially difficult when the patient is frightened after a serious accident.
Specific treatment for acute spinal cord injury is based on:
- Age, overall health, and medical history.
- Extent of injury.
- Type of injury.
Unfortunately, there is currently no way to repair a damaged or bruised spinal cord. However, researchers are actively looking for ways to stimulate spinal cord regeneration. The severity and location determine whether a spinal cord injury is mild, severe, or fatal.
Surgery is sometimes needed to evaluate an injured spinal cord, stabilize a fractured vertebra, relieve pressure from the injured area, and to treat other injuries that may have resulted from the accident. Treatment may include:
- Observation and medical management in the intensive care unit (ICU).
- Medications, such as corticosteroids (to help reduce swelling in the spinal cord).
- Mechanical ventilator, breathing machine (to help with breathing).
- Bladder catheter. A tube placed into the bladder that helps drain urine into a collection bag.
- Feeding tube (placed through the nose into the stomach or directly through the stomach into the abdomen to provide extra nutrients and calories).
Recovery from a spinal cord injury often requires long-term hospitalization and rehabilitation. An interdisciplinary team of health care providers, including nurses, therapists (physical, occupational, or speech), and other specialists work to control the patient’s pain and monitor heart function, blood pressure, body temperature, nutritional status, bladder and bowel function, and try to control involuntary muscle shaking (spasticity).
Prevention of Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries can occur when someone experiences a collision or falls. Therefore, it is very important to be careful in every action to avoid accidents.
If you see someone who has had an accident, prevent or reduce the risk of spinal cord injury to the neck or back by:
- Call paramedics immediately and do not move or move the victim before paramedics arrive on the scene.
- Place a thick towel on either side of the neck, or hold the neck and head, and ask the victim to remain still until paramedics arrive.
- Perform necessary first aid to stop bleeding without moving the neck and head.