Spinal cord injury
Spinal cord injury causes temporary as well as permanent vicissitudes in its function. Symptoms may include loss of muscle function, sensation, finally autonomic function in the components of the body below the caliber of the injury.
Spinal cord injury is very common and it affects many due to various causes some of which are:
- road traffic accidents
- Gunshots
- inflammation
- cord infarction.
On the anatomical perspective, there are two types of spinal cord injuries: As consummate cord injury and partial cord injuries.
On the caliber of presentation, it varies according to the caliber of injury the higher the caliber the more profound the effect might be so cervical cord injuries can cause quadriplegia.
while lower calibers can only cause paraplegia. It is not only the movement that is affected but withal the sensation, sexual and sphincter functions in additament to autonomic functions which might affect blood pressure and body temperature and so on
In some cases of cervical cord injury, the respiration might be affected.
some of its symptoms could be:
- Loss of movement
- altered sensation, including the ability to feel heat, cold and touch
- Loss of bowel or bladder control
- Exaggerated reflex activities or spasms
- Changes in sexual function, sexual sensitivity and fertility
- Pain or an intense stinging sensation caused by damage to the nerve fibers in your spinal cord
- Difficulty breathing, coughing or clearing secretions from your lungs
- that is Also can be included is back and neck pain
Patient with spinal cord injury whatever the caliber or the type customarily needs intensive rehabilitation program to achieve the highest caliber of functional recovery making utilization of the remaining functions they do have after the injury.
Taheal rehabilitation program of patients with spinal cord injuries is usually a prolonged program so patience is a must in this type of illness.
