Spinal cord injury or SCI as it is commonly known damages the spinal cord or the nearby tissues and bones. The result of the damage can be either severe or easily treatable. The common treatment process involves surgery, prescribing medications and attending physiotherapy sessions. On the whole, spinal cord injury is sure to affect adversely the normal life of the person.
A person who has fallen prey to SCI needs special treatment provided by surgeons who have expertise in treating joint bones and providing regenerative orthopedic treatment. You have such experts providing free consultation and promising successful treatment at Stemwell Clinic.
The functions of the spinal cord involve relying messages between the brain and every part of the body. The spinal cord is protected by many layers of tissues called meninges and many columns of spinal bones. The injury often happens when there is sudden blow to the vertebrae as a result of the accident. Sometimes even surgical complications can result in damaging the spinal cord. The broken bones result in damaging the spinal cord. The essential functions of the body get affected and sometimes the person isn’t able to breathe freely.
The types of spinal cord injury
- Complete injury: It means the person experiences paralysis from below the level of injury. Many patients are unable to move their lower part of the body and sometimes the four limbs.
- Incomplete injury: The body isn’t paralysed and the person can move any part of the body.
The commonest symptoms of SCI are
- There is weakness in the arms and legs. Sometimes the reduced sensation is felt thus the person is unable to move arms and legs as desired.
- The digestive system becomes weak. There is no control over bladder and bowel function.
- The person is always troubled with pain in the back and neck.
- There are uncommon lumps seen or felt in the spine part.
- Sometimes the person experiences difficulty in breathing.
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How the SCI treatment starts and the process is continued?
- The body part’s movement is checked. It helps to understand whether the motor function of all parts of the body is functioning smoothly or not.
- Then the ability to feel and touch is checked. It helps to know whether the sensory nerves are functioning properly or not.
- CT Scan, MRI, X-Ray are the tools to understand whether there are fatal injury symptoms like broken bones, blood clots, damage of soft tissues, and damage to blood vessels that are surrounding the spinal cord.
- Even Electromyogram is done to test muscles and nerve cells to understand whether there is co-exist peripheral nerve damage.
- Surgery is done immediately if the effect is more severe and there are chances of other body parts getting damaged.
- Medication helps to improve blood flow, lessen the inflammation symptoms like pain and restore nerve functions.
- In case of paralysis, along with surgery and medications doctors suggest physiotherapy.
- There is a need to get admitted to a rehabilitation centre to practice usage of wheelchair, walkers and to attend physiotherapy sessions.
Always it is beneficial to have spinal cord injury treatment from expert surgeons.
