This Week’s Q&A
Q: What are the most common results of a spinal cord injury?
A: Depending on the particular injury sustained, there are a wide variety of primary and secondary complications that can result from a spinal cord injury.
Damage to the nerve fibers that carry motor signals to the brain through severing or compression can lead to muscle paralysis and loss of sensations such as those experienced through touch or pressure. Other potential effects are loss of bladder control, muscle contractions, decreased breathing capacity, exaggerated reflexes, over or under sensitivity to temperature changes, lasting pain, impaired sexual functioning and issues with bowel control.
Some of the most common secondary effects are increased blood pressure, sweating, pressure sores and an increased susceptibility to respiratory ailments.
Typically any of these functions that are lost will be regained within six months, if they are to return at all. After that point your chances of recuperation decreases greatly. This is why it is so important to make sure you receive proper care immediately after sustaining a spinal cord injury.
Email this • Add to del.icio.us • Digg This! • Share on Facebook • Stumble It!Tags: Paralysis, sci, Spinal Cord Injury(SCI), symptoms of spinal cord injury