A spinal cord injury can have devastating consequences for the injured person and their family. It can change the way they live their life forever.
The spinal cord runs from the brain down to the pelvis. It carries messages from the brain to the rest of the body, affecting walking, breathing, movement, blood pressure and control of the bowels and bladder. Injuries to the spinal cord can affect these functions, sometimes seriously, leading to loss of movement and control of bodily functions.
The spinal cord can be damaged through trauma as a result of accidents, or as a result of illness and infection. The impact of the damage depends on where the spinal cord is injured, for example if the injury is in the cervical or thoracic (upper spine) loss of the use of arms and legs can occur and breathing may be affected, while lower spinal cord injuries may affect use of the legs and control of the stomach, bladder and bowels. Each injury and its effects can be unique to the sufferer and depends on the cause, circumstances and how quickly the injury is treated.
Suffering an injury of this nature can start a whole new life for some people, but with the proper support, they can go on to achieve things they never knew were possible. Whether that be a challenge they had put off or simply just returning to a way of life, they thought had been lost.
#SpinalCordInjuryAwarenessDay is all about helping to understand how spinal cord injuries can affect people. It also helps to raise awareness and understanding of the treatment and support that can be available.
Support can be found at: Spinal Injuries Association
See how we can help: Spinal Cord Injury Physiotherapy
