Spinal Cord Injury may become severed or injured due to accidents, acts of
violence or physical diseases such as polio, according to Dr. Edward Benzel of
the Cleveland Clinic Spine Institute. Depending upon the extent and location of
the spinal cord damage, a range of motor, sensory or autonomic nervous system
functions (involuntary functions such as breathing) may be affected.
Spinal cord injury can cause partial or complete paralysis, or loss of motor
function. Loss of movement may occur as a result of bruising, compression,
lacerations or complete severing of the spinal cord. Partial paralysis (called
paresis) can occur in all four limbs (quadraparesis), or slight paralysis may
develop only in the lower extremities (paraparesis). In some cases, complete
paralysis of the lower extremities and lower trunk may occur while the upper
limbs remain unaffected (paraplegia). According to Dr. Edward Benzel, chairman
of the Cleveland Clinic Spine Institute, loss of motor function typically occurs
below the level of impact to the spinal cord, and paralysis may be temporary or
permanent depending upon the severity of the injury. For example, if the
cervical spine in the neck region is affected, loss of motor function is often
seen in the hands, arms and neck. If the spinal cord in the lower back region is
injured, loss of function may occur in the hips and legs.
Respiratory Problems
According to a review published in a 2007 issue of the Journal of Spinal Cord
Medicine, spinal cord injuries--particularly those in the cervical or neck
region--may lead to paralysis or paresis of the muscles that are responsible for
involuntary respiration. Those who aren't able to breathe sufficiently on their
own may require long-term mechanical ventilator support to survive; however,
mechanical ventilation increases the risk of complications such as pneumonia,
infection and death. The review's authors note that respiratory insufficiency is
the top cause of morbidity and mortality after a spinal cord injury.
Autonomic Dysreflexia
Autonomic Dysreflexia, or hyperreflexia, is a life-threatening over-activity
of the autonomic nervous system (responsible for controlling involuntary actions
of muscles and organs in the body) that occurs uniquely in patients with spinal
cord injury. According to the University of Washington Department of
Rehabilitation Medicine, people with a severed spinal cord at or above the T-6
vertebrae are at greater risk of developing the condition. When pain or pressure
(or a full bladder or bowel) below the level of spinal cord injury occur, blood
vessels constrict and blood pressure rises. Nerves in the sympathetic nervous
system relay a message to the brain that blood pressure is getting too high, and
the brain in turn sends a signal down the spinal cord to relax blood vessels and
lower blood pressure.
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