RENO BONE INJURY LAWYER
Reno Spinal Cord Injury Attorney
The leading cause of spinal cord injuries is motor vehicle accidents in which the occupants are not wearing seat belts. Other causes include acts of violence, falls, injury from sports, and medical malpractice during surgery or anesthesia. Men between the ages of 15-30 are the most commonly affected, accounting for approximately 80 percent of all spinal cord injuries.
The spinal cord is a column of nerve tissue that extends from the base of the brain to the around the waist. Below that level, the spinal cord branches to a number of large nerves. Nerves also branch out the limbs at each level of the vertebrae and send messages from the brain to the muscles. The spinal cord is the direct line of communication from the brain to the rest of the body. Spinal cord injures cause damage to the nerves that supply information to each part of the body, sometimes causing partial or complete paralysis at the point of injury.
The extent of the damage to the spinal cord is determined by the severity of the injury. Signs of spinal cord trauma are evident immediately following the injury. However, swelling of the spinal cord may complicate the symptoms. Incomplete or complete paralysis, numbness and/or pain, and loss of control of bowels and bladder usually follow any kind of trauma to the spinal cord. Sexual dysfunction, urinary tract infections and muscle spasms below the injury are also complications of a spinal cord injury.
Incomplete paralysis will cause the motor and sensory functions to partially function at the level of the injury to the cord, and some movement and sensation may show a partial recovery. An injury to the cervical level of the cord could result in paralysis of the trunk, lower and upper limbs, and difficulty in breathing. Injuries in the lumbar region usually result in loss of function to the lower limbs and trunk.
Spinal cord injuries require immediate emergency attention and stabilization of the spine to prevent further damage. Treatments including immobilization and traction of the spine and surgery to stabilize a fracture or break. Recovery of motor and sensory functions is solely dependent upon the severity of the injury. An incomplete cord injury may show some levels of improvement over time.
