Common Questions About Spinal Cord Injuries

What is spinal cord injury?

A Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) is damage of the spinal cord resulting in loss of mobility or feeling. Spinal cord injury is not a broken back or a broken neck. These are totally different injuries that may not cause any permanent damage to the spinal cord.

What are the spinal cord and the vertebra?

The spinal cord is about 18 inches long and travels from the waist, through the back and ends at the base of the brain. It is a bundle of nerves that transmits and communicates impulses to and from the brain to the body.

There is the Central Nervous System and the Peripheral Nervous System. The Central Nervous System is the brain and the spinal cord. The Peripheral Nervous System are sensory nerves traveling out from the spinal cord and control involuntary functions like blood pressure.

Nerves are located within the spinal cord and carry signals from the brain to spinal nerves in the spinal tract. These are called UMNs or upper motor neurons. The nerves that branch out from the spinal cord are known as LMNs or lower motor neurons. The LMNs communicate with specific areas of the body, the skin and other body parts and organs to the brain.

Surrounding the spinal cord are the vertebra, commonly referred to as the back bone, and are named according to their location.

Is there a cure for spinal cord injury?

Not currently. Millions of dollars are spent each year on research and scientists and non-profit organizations are tirelessly working toward the goal of finding a cure. Progress is made yearly as new scientific breakthroughs occur. However there are many treatment and rehabilitation options for spinal cord injury.

Do people with SCI ever get better?

Yes; however, this is a tricky question to answer because there are so many varying degrees of Spinal Cord Injury. Many progress in their individual recovery efforts and some can get back to where they were before. Others with severe SCI oftentimes have a more difficult and longer road to recovery. Individual results vary depending on the individual.

Do people with spinal cord injury die sooner?

Life expectancy is highly subjective with any person, but people who suffer spinal cord injuries can be exposed to more health complications because of their injuries. However great progress in the treatment of SCI has been made over the years. Seventy years ago, most SCI patients died within weeks of their injury due to respiratory infection and other bowel and urinary related dysfunctions. As discussed above, modern medicine, technology and research have made great strides in assisting and rehabilitating those with SCI.

Do people with SCI have jobs?

Absolutely. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) promotes the inclusion of people with SCI to mainstream day-to-day society and requires employers to make structural arrangements to accommodate the SCI employee. Given advances in technology, a multitude of professions and jobs are available to people with spinal cord injuries.

Contact an Attorney

If you or a loved one have experienced SCI as the result of an accident or other negligence by another person, call the spinal cord injury attorneys at Bryan K. Harris PC today to learn about your legal options.