Spinal cord injuries stem from a host of accidents, including car wrecks and slips and falls. Regardless of the cause of an injury, there are a few concerns that everyone should keep in mind.
One of the most critical pieces of information to commit to memory is that anyone who’s involved in an incident that could cause a spinal cord injury and is suffering back pain should have their spine stabilized before moving. Once that’s done, emergency medical care is required to mitigate the damage.
Effects occur below the injury
A person who has a spinal cord injury may notice pain at the site of the damage. They may have effects below the place that’s damaged. For example, an injury to the neck may lead to paralysis of the arms and legs; however, an injury to the lower back may lead to paralysis of the legs but not the arms.
Overall healing varies greatly
All spinal cord injuries are classified as either complete or incomplete, depending on how the nerves in the area are affected. A complete injury involves entirely severed nerves, meaning the affected area has no feeling or movement. An incomplete injury has only partial nerve damage, so sensation and movement in that area are possible. Typically, complete injuries have less complete healing than incomplete injuries.
Victims who suffer spinal cord injuries require considerable medical care, which is costly. They may file a personal injury lawsuit to recover some of those damages if their harm was caused by another’s actions or inactions. There is only a limited time to make this effort before the statute of limitations expires. Therefore, seeking legal guidance promptly is wise.