Spinal Cord Injuries
What system is directly damaged in a spinal cord injury?
The nervous system
What is a herniated disc?
A disc that bulges or slips and presses on nerves
Which disorder causes the spine to curve sideways?
Scoliosis
What is the most common symptom of spinal injuries or disorders?
Pain
What type of doctor helps patients recover movement after spinal injury?
Physical therapist
What type of injury results in no movement or sensation below the injury?
Complete injury
What spinal injury involves broken vertebrae?
Fracture
Which spinal disorder is often related to aging and wear and tear?
Degenerative disc disease
What symptom feels like “pins and needles”?
Numbness or tingling
What treatment may be needed if the spinal cord or nerves are being compressed?
Surgery
What type of spinal cord injury allows some movement or sensation to remain?
Incomplete injury
How can twisting or lifting wrong injure the spine?
It can cause disc injury or strain
Do spinal disorders usually happen suddenly or over time?
Over time
What term means loss of movement in part of the body?
Paralysis
What long-term aid helps people with severe spinal injuries move around?
Wheelchair
Name one common cause of spinal cord injuries.
Car accidents / falls / sports injuries
What injury can occur even without a major fall or crash?
Whiplash
Which disorder involves a disc pressing on nearby nerves?
Herniated disc
What type of paralysis affects only the legs?
Paraplegia
What is a main goal of spinal injury treatment?
Improve function and quality of life
This specific secondary injury process causes expanding damage to the spinal cord hours to days after the initial trauma due to inflammation, swelling, and lack of oxygen.
Secondary spinal cord injury cascade
Why are spinal column injuries dangerous?
They can damage the spinal cord or nerves
This genetic connective tissue disorder increases spinal instability and can worsen scoliosis due to abnormal collagen.
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
This life-threatening condition occurs in high spinal cord injuries and causes sudden extreme hypertension, sweating, and headache due to overstimulation of the autonomic nervous system.
Autonomic dysreflexia
This controversial high-dose steroid once used after acute spinal cord injury is now debated due to increased infection risk.
Methylprednisolone