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What is a spinal cord injury?
A spinal cord injury is damage to the spinal cord that results in a loss of function, such as mobility or feeling. Frequent causes of damage are trauma (car accident, gunshot, falls, etc.) or disease (polio, spina bifida, etc.). The spinal cord does not have to be severed in order for a loss of functioning to occur. In fact, in most people with SCI, the spinal cord is intact, but the damage to it results in loss of functioning. SCI is very different from back injuries such as ruptured disks.
A person can "break their back or neck" yet not sustain a spinal cord injury if only the bones around the spinal cord (the vertebrae) are damaged, but the spinal cord is not affected. In these situations, the individual may not experience paralysis after the bones are stabilized.
Spinal Cord Injury Tutorial
This resource offers an interactive tutorial about spinal cord injuries.
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What clinical findings (signs, symptoms and test results) indicate a spinal cord injury?
Click here to learn more about the spinal cord injuries.
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Treatment options
Click here for information about treating spinal cord injuries.
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