مقاله تخصصی
What problems does a spinal cord injury cause?
3 months ago
422 بازدید
Dr. Mohammad Hossein Delshad
تهرانpain companions
A **spinal cord injury** refers to damage to the spinal cord itself, adjacent tissues and bones....Depending on the severity of the injury, you may notice a loss of mobility or function in different parts of your body.
Usually, the treatment considered for this disease includes drug therapy, physical therapy and surgery.
What is meant by spinal cord injury?.. The spinal cord sends messages to the brain and other parts of the body.. A layer of tissue called the meninges and the bones of the spine surround and protect the spinal cord.
Most spinal cord injuries are caused by sudden impact to the vertebrae.. In some rare cases, the injury can lead to a cut or split in the spinal cord.
How does a spinal cord injury affect the body?
If the damage means that the nerves cannot communicate with the brain, the body will certainly lose many essential functions.... If you have a damaged spinal cord, many of these functions include:
- bladder and bowel function
- breathing
- Heartbeat
- metabolism
- Reflections
- Emotions
- muscular movement
How does spinal cord injury occur?
This injury is caused by an unforeseen accident or following a violent event.... For example, all these things can contribute to the development of this complication:
- knife or bullet attack
- Diving in shallow water and encountering a hard surface
- Injury during a car accident, especially to the face, head and neck, chest or back area
- Falling from a significant height
- injury to the head or spine during professional sports
- electrical accidents
- Severe twisting in the middle part of the body
Know the signs
Some of the symptoms of spinal cord injury include:
- Difficulty walking
- Abnormal head position
- Loss of bladder and bowel control
- symptoms of shock
- Inability to move arms and legs
- feeling of pain, pressure and stiffness in the back or neck area
- Anesthesia
- Headache
Emergency symptoms of spinal cord injury after an accident:
- Severe back pain or feeling of pressure in the neck, head or back
- Disharmony, weakness or paralysis in any part of the body
Numbness, tingling, or loss of sensation in the hands, fingers, feet, and toes
- Disturbance in breathing after injury
- Difficulty in balance and walking
- Severe twisting in the neck or back area
What should be done if a spinal cord injury is suspected?
If you or someone else suspects this complication, pay attention to the following:
- Call the emergency room immediately, the sooner medical help arrives, the better for the patient's condition.
- A person should not make a movement unless it is absolutely necessary.... This movement can be to remove the helmet from the person's head.
- You should encourage the person to remain as still as possible even if they can stand and walk.
- If the person is not breathing, you should perform CPR and do not tilt the head back....instead, place the head forward.
When the patient arrives at the hospital, the doctor performs a complete physical and neurological examination.... The tools that the doctor uses for diagnosis are as follows:
- CT scan
- MRI
- X-ray of the spine
- evoked potential (measures the speed of nerve signals that reach the brain)
Time to see a doctor
Anyone who has a severe cold or neck injury should be evaluated by a doctor immediately to diagnose a spinal cord injury...
In these cases, spinal cord injury must be assumed until proven otherwise for the following reasons:
- Severe spinal cord injury is not always immediately apparent....if it is not obvious, there is a possibility of a more severe injury.
- Numbness or paralysis sometimes appears immediately or gradually in patients.
- The time between injury and treatment can be very critical in determining the severity of injury, complications and treatment.
What are the prevention solutions?
As you know, many spinal cord injuries are caused by unpredictable events.. As a result, the best strategies that can be considered to reduce the risk of spinal cord injuries are as follows:
- Always fasten your seat belt in the car.
- Use appropriate protective equipment during exercise.
- Do not swim in shallow water under any circumstances.
Long-term treatment of spinal cord injury
Long-term treatment options that are considered are as follows:
- help to increase the quality of life
- reducing the risk of chronic diseases
- restoration of some nerve functions after damage
