September is spinal cord injury awareness month, so I’ve decided to put together a series of posts about spinal cord injuries (SCI).
To be honest, I wasn’t familiar with spinal cord injuries until I was injured myself. It’s even part of the reason that I decided to become a Registered Dietitian! While there are many different aspect to SCI, I thought I would start with the basics. Many people think having a spinal cord injury only affects the ability to control muscles, but the truth is it affects so much more. And with 17,000 new injuries each year in the us it is important to discuss what a SCI is and also how to prevent them.
A spinal cord injury is when the spinal cord is damaged, causing a disruption in nerve signals between the brain and the other end of the nerves. This includes nerves traveling to not only our muscles, but also our organs! Nerve signals aren’t necessarily completely cut off. Even though every injury is unique, there are two general categories: complete and incomplete injuries. Each injury is classified based on the ASIA impairment scale. This exam includes light touch and pin prick sensation testing, as well as muscle strength tests. The idea is to be able to identify any function below the level of injury and to track changes over time. Complete injuries will have no sensation or function below the injury, whereas incomplete injuries will have varying degrees of sensation or muscle function. This is why two people may have an injury at the same level, but one needs a wheelchair and the other may be able to walk. Recovery has very little to do with a person’s desire to regain function, and everything to do with the severity of their injury itself.
The level of injury is also important. Cervical injuries generally result in quadriplegia, where all 4 limbs are affected in some way. People often assume quadriplegics have no use of their arms, but this couldn’t be more wrong! While this can be the case, many quads (including me!) have partial use of our arms. Thoracic and lumbar injuries cause paraplegia, or paralysis of two limbs (legs only, but often also affect trunk function).
In addition to affecting muscle function, bowel and bladder control is usually lost. Higher level injuries (upper back, and neck) can also have compromised lung function, difficulty maintaining normal blood pressure and heart rate changes, as well as inability to regulate body temperature (often unable to sweat). This can be very dangerous and even life threatening. It’s hard to believe, but these are only a few of the secondary conditions that come with living with a spinal cord injury.
As you can imagine, spinal cord injuries are life-changing and can be very difficult to deal with. The best way to prevent injuries is by always paying attention while driving (no texting, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, etc.), avoid diving into shallow water or the ocean, and to take precautions to avoid falls. That being said, there is life after SCI!
I know this was a short overview of some of the key aspects of spinal cord injuries, so if you have any questions please let me know!
For more information check out:
Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation www.christopherreeve.org/
United Spinal Association www.unitedspinal.org
National SCI Statistical Center www.nscisc.uab.edu/
Such great information and thank you for sharing. So much I didn’t know.
Thanks so much for reading! Glad this was helpful to you, it’s definitely not a topic that people know much about unless they have a SCI or know someone with one.
Very useful and informative. What level injury do you have them and where on the ASiA scale ? Hope don’t mind use asking
So happy you found it useful! I have a C6 ASIA C level injury.
? Meaning high up your body but with some sensation s ? So much to learn
Exactly right! SCI is very confusing and every injury is unique. May I ask how you found my page/about your interest in SCI? I’m always interested to learn who is reading!
Good morning Liz. Ben Clark told me about your Instagram and I am delighted to find this resource. I am a former occupational therapy assistant living with C4/C5 spinal cord injury. Mine is incomplete, but has affected my arms, shoulders, and upper body strength and sensation. Life is good three years out but I am still learning new things to help me successfully manage my health and daily life. I know the importance of health diet post SCI, but shopping and meal prep have gone from being fun to being a daily struggle so I am hoping to find some fresh ideas on your site.
Hi Kristin! Thank you so much for checking out my site! I’ll start updating things here again soon, a few things recently have taken my attention away from creating content. I am C6 incomplete myself, and I hear you that meal prep is a struggle. It’s something I am working on for myself always!