The spinal cord extends from the base of your brain down towards your waist.
The nerves within the spinal cord create a pathway that carries signals between the brain and body to facilitate movement and sense touch, temperature, pain, pressure, and location of the body in space.
The vertebrae of your spine protect this pathway.
When an injury causes the vertebrae to break or compress, it can damage the nerves within it and disrupt what messages can pass between body and brain.
The paralysis that can result from injury, depends on both the location and extent of the injury.
A complete spinal cord injury means there is no feeling (sensation that includes sense of touch, pain, temperature, position, vibration and deep pressure) or voluntary movement below the level of injury, suggesting that no messages are getting through the spinal cord.Â
An incomplete spinal cord injury means there are some messages going to and from the body and brain despite the damage. This means individuals may have some feeling or voluntary movement below their level of injury.
Paraplegia involves loss of movement and feeling in the lower half of the body, affecting all or parts of the torso and both legs, but not the arms. It is usually a result of injuries at T1 or below.Â
Quadriplegia (also called Tetraplegia) involves the loss of movement and feeling in all four limbs – both arms and legs and is usually a result of an injury at or above T1.
Key Level of Injury Considerations
- C1 – C4: breathing may be impacted, limited movement below the neck
- C6: has wrist extension and can initiate grasping
- C7: has elbow extension (triceps) which is useful for transfers and mobility
- T4: has function from mid-chest (nipple line) and up
- T10 – T12: has more core engagement
- L1 – L2: has trunk flexion and hip movement
- Those with injuries below L1 or an incomplete injury may be able to walk with the use of crutches and/or braces
Generally, the higher the point of injury, the greater the loss of function but all parts above the point of injury should continue to function unimpaired.
No two injuries are the same. Be sure to have conversations with those you recreate with to ensure their unique needs and goals are being properly addressed.
Spinal cord injuries can also cause disruptions to bladder, bowel and sexual function as well as secondary medical complications such as chronic pain, respiratory dysfunction, spasticity, unstable blood pressure and heart problems.
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The spinal cord extends from the base of your brain down towards your waist.
The nerves within the spinal cord create a pathway that carries signals between the brain and body to facilitate movement and sense touch, temperature, pain, pressure, and location of the body in space.
The vertebrae of your spine protect this pathway.
When an injury causes the vertebrae to break or compress, it can damage the nerves within it and disrupt what messages can pass between body and brain.
The paralysis that can result from injury, depends on both the location and extent of the injury.
A complete spinal cord injury means there is no feeling (sensation that includes sense of touch, pain, temperature, position, vibration and deep pressure) or voluntary movement below the level of injury, suggesting that no messages are getting through the spinal cord.Â
An incomplete spinal cord injury means there are some messages going to and from the body and brain despite the damage. This means individuals may have some feeling or voluntary movement below their level of injury.
Paraplegia involves loss of movement and feeling in the lower half of the body, affecting all or parts of the torso and both legs, but not the arms. It is usually a result of injuries at T1 or below.Â
Quadriplegia (also called Tetraplegia) involves the loss of movement and feeling in all four limbs – both arms and legs and is usually a result of an injury at or above T1.
Key Level of Injury Considerations
- C1 – C4: breathing may be impacted, limited movement below the neck
- C6: has wrist extension and can initiate grasping
- C7: has elbow extension (triceps) which is useful for transfers and mobility
- T4: has function from mid-chest (nipple line) and up
- T10 – T12: has more core engagement
- L1 – L2: has trunk flexion and hip movement
- Those with injuries below L1 or an incomplete injury may be able to walk with the use of crutches and/or braces
Generally, the higher the point of injury, the greater the loss of function but all parts above the point of injury should continue to function unimpaired.
No two injuries are the same. Be sure to have conversations with those you recreate with to ensure their unique needs and goals are being properly addressed.
Spinal cord injuries can also cause disruptions to bladder, bowel and sexual function as well as secondary medical complications such as chronic pain, respiratory dysfunction, spasticity, unstable blood pressure and heart problems.