To understand the nature of spinal cord injuries, it is important to understand the spinal cord itself and how it works. There are several basic regions of the spinal cord that may suffer damage in an accident.
Those regions include the following:
- Cervical spinal cord – The cervical spinal cord is the uppermost region of the spinal column, and is nearest to the neck.
- Thoracic spinal cord – The thoracic spinal cord comprises the middle region and is located in the middle of the back.
- Lumbar spinal cord – The lumbar region of the spinal cord is in a person’s lower back. This is the portion where the spinal cord starts to curve slightly.
- Sacral spine – The sacral spine is the lowest region of the spinal cord and is shaped like a triangle.
If you suffer a serious injury in an accident, any of these spinal cord regions may be impacted. Damage to the spinal cord could be a complete injury or an incomplete injury. In a complete spinal cord injury, the spinal cord itself suffers an injury, and the accident victim’s brain cannot send a signal to any area of the body that falls below the injury location.
An incomplete spinal cord injury, on the other hand, results from spinal cord damage or compression that leads to a significant reduction in the brain’s ability to send signals throughout the body. With incomplete spinal cord injuries, the effects and impacts can vary greatly, depending upon the person. For example, while some individuals may notice a reduction in motor abilities after sustaining a spinal cord injury, others may find their injuries have eliminated their abilities to move or feel.
Some of the most common types of spinal cord injuries that can impact an individual following an accident include:
