Your spinal cord is an essential component of your central nervous system, which allows your brain to communicate with the rest of your body. Nerve tracts from your spine extend to all the different parts of your body and affect the feeling in your soft tissues.
When a head, neck or back injury causes damage to your spinal cord, you may face lifelong difficulties with mobility and body function.
Pain or altered sensation
Damage to or around the spine can lead to debilitating and hard-to-manage pain. Even if you seek immediate medical attention for your injury, some of the long-term effects can include:
- Headaches
- Nerve fiber damage
- Inability to feel heat or cold
- Stinging or pinching sensations
- Tingling or numbness in limbs
Mobility and function loss
Spinal trauma can affect your body’s ability to move and perform normal voluntary and involuntary functions. Mobility therapy may be necessary for someone suffering from spinal cord injury symptoms including:
- Tetraplegia or paraplegia
- Loss of bowel or bladder control
- Spasms
- Difficulty breathing or coughing
- Changes in sexual health and functioning
Additionally, damage to the spinal cord may result in the need for extensive and ongoing occupational therapy and mobility support. The equipment and manhours needed to provide this type of treatment are extremely expensive.
Car and motorcycle accidents are the number one cause of spine trauma, followed by falls and violent assaults. If you suffer pain or illness as the result of someone else’s negligence, you deserve the opportunity to recover damages and compensation for your losses.