If recently you sustained spinal cord injury (SCI), you may feel like all aspects of your life have been affected. That is because the injury affects a person mentally, socially, and emotionally. Today, countless research studies surrounding spinal cord injuries are ongoing worldwide – involving prostheses, medications, treatments that promote regeneration of nerve cells, and ways to improve the function of the nerves that remain after a spinal cord injury.
The good news is that you can have an independent and productive life with spinal cord injury treatment in Greenville, SC. The sad news is today, there is no known way of reversing the damage to the spinal cord. Today, SCI treatments generally focus on preventing further damage or injury. Treatment also helps patients manage spinal pain.
If your spinal cord has been injured, you need a spine pain specialist who will help you through this tough time. At Carolina Spine & Pain, we offer spinal cord injury treatment in Greenville, South Carolina. Call us at 864-539-4549 to know more about our services and treatment options.
Table of Contents
The Structure of the Spinal Cord
Did you know that the spinal cord is part of the central nervous system? Yes! It is found in the vertebral canal of the vertebral column. This makes it a continuation of the brainstem. It extends from the foramen magnum at the base of a skull to the L1 or L2 Vertebrae where it ends as a Medullary cone.
Like the brain, it is protected by layers of tissues known as Meninges. These tissues include the:
- Dura Mater – This is the outermost protective layer of a spinal cord.
- Arachnoid Mater – This is the middle layer found between the subarachnoid and epidural space.
- Pia Mater – The inner layer that covers the spinal cord.
Along the spinal cord length, it consists of sacral, lumbar, thoracic, cervical, and coccygeal segments.
What Is the Purpose of the Spinal Cord?
The spinal cord has many functions. These include:
Transmit Signals to and From the Brain
This is the primary function of the spinal cord. It transmits nerve signals from the brain which control your body movements and functions. It also carries information to the brain, which includes senses from other parts of the body.
Control Body Movement and Function
The spinal cord sends nerve signals responsible for controlling body movement and function. It also controls involuntary (autonomic) functions like breathing, heartbeat, bladder, and bowel functions.
Reflex Responses
The spinal cord controls some reflexes without involving the brain (involuntary movements). For example, involuntary moving of your legs when someone taps a particular sport of the leg (patellar reflex).
What Is a Spinal Cord Injury?
A spinal cord injury (SCI) can be defined as damage to any part of the spinal cord or nerves at the Cauda Equina. A spinal injury can either be permanent or temporary. However, in most cases, spinal injuries lead to permanent changes in sensation, strength, and body functions, which leads to devastating neurologic deficit and disability.
For this reason, it is wise to seek spinal cord injury treatment to prevent complications related to the disability. Did you know that supportive care has been shown to decrease the complications associated with mobility?
The Symptoms of Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injury symptoms vary depending on the extent of the injury. An acute SCI is often caused by a traumatic injury that tears or bruises the spinal cord. A person’s ability to control their limbs after the injury depends on two factors:
- Where the injury occurred
- The severity of the injury (the completeness).
The severity of the injury is further classified under two categories:
- Complete: A spinal cord injury can only be classified as complete when a person has lost all feeling and movement control below the spinal cord.
- Incomplete: A spinal cord injury can only be classified as incomplete when a person has some sensory or motor function. Remember, the degree varies.
It is important to note that the severity of paralysis is categorized under either Tetraplegia or paraplegia. With Tetraplegia (quadriplegia) it means that almost all or parts of a person’s body are affected such as the legs, hands, arms, and pelvic organs. Paraplegia means that it affects all or parts of the lower side of a person. This includes pelvic organs, legs, and trunk.
Common symptoms of a spinal cord injury include:
- Muscle weakness
- Loss of muscle control
- Breathing problems
- Loss of sensation
- Loss of bladder and bowel control.
Spinal Cord Treatments
The sad truth is that there is no way to reverse spinal cord damage. On the other hand, researchers are continuously researching to find treatments. For this reason, once in a while, you will hear of an experimental treatment for spinal cord injury. The goal is to find a treatment that will promote nerve regeneration or improve the functions of the nerve.
For now, spinal cord injury treatment focuses on prevention (preventing further damage) and supportive care. As such, the treatment procedure is long and includes the following:
Emergency Care
Spinal cord treatment begins at the scene of the accident. Remember, the goal is to prevent further damage. Of course, one must go to the emergency room after sustaining a spinal cord injury. Emergency room treatments may involve medication, invasive surgery, installation of prosthetics, and more.
Ongoing Treatment
This involves going for checkups with the aim of seeing if further damage is occurring or if it is affecting other organs. It also involves rehabilitation and pain management.
Ongoing treatment for a spinal cord injury may include:
- Medication management – over-the-counter medications and prescription medications
- Radiofrequency Ablation (Lumbar Spine/Cervical Spine)
- Nerve blocks
- Spinal cord stimulator
- Injections
- Orthopedic surgery
- Kyphoplasty
- Chiropractic adjustments.
What Are the Common Causes of Spinal Cord Injury?
Common causes of spinal cord injuries include:
- Traffic accidents
- Slip and falls
- Sports injuries
- Trampoline accidents
- Driving accidents
- Infections
- Violence
- Birth injuries.
Contact Us for Spinal Cord Injury Treatment in Greenville, SC!
If you are looking for spinal cord injury treatment in Greenville, South Carolina, you should contact our Carolina Spine & Pain offices. We offer different treatment options, rehabilitation, and assistive devices that will allow you to lead a productive and independent life. Our physicians will work closely with you throughout your treatment.
For more information or questions, call us at 864-539-4549 and speak to our experienced physicians.