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Spinal Cord Injuries: Frequently Asked Questions

How prevalent are spinal cord injuries?

There are approximately 10,000 new spinal cord injuries per year in the U.S. Over 200,000 persons in the U.S. currently have spinal cord injuries.

How do spinal cord injuries happen?

Spinal cord injuries can result from a variety of things. They can be a result of disease, traumatic injury, or even aging. Just as every accident is different, so is every type of spinal cord injury. Generally speaking, spinal cord injuries result when the spinal column is pinched by the backbone, which can lead to swelling and bruising. In extreme cases, the injury can tear the nerve fibers surrounding it or even the spinal cord itself. ...

What are the causes of spinal cord injuries?

The causes of spinal cord injuries are similar to the causes of traumatic brain injuries. Motor vehicle, workplace, and sporting accidents can all result in a spinal cord injury. Our spinal cord and head injury lawyers can help if someone you love has been injured due to the negligence of another party.
The largest number of spinal cord injuries occur in auto accidents, or nearly 48 percent, according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center in Birmingham, Alabama. Other surveys place the percentage slightly lower, but car and truck accidents remain the leading cause. Falls account for about 23 percent of the injuries, more commonly among older people. Violent incidents (shootings, assaults, etc.) account for about 14 percent and sports injuries, mostly diving accidents, nearly 9 percent.

How are spinal cord injuries treated?

Treatment of spinal cord injuries may involve physical, occupational, and cognitive rehabilitation. Although extended hospital care and frequent surgeries are not uncommon, many victims of spinal cord injuries are able to receive outpatient care, allowing them more freedom and independence. ...
Most medical treatment for spinal cord injuries relies on relieving pain, spasm, and stress to the site, and allowing the body to regenerate as much as possible. Presently, there is no cure for spinal cord injuries. Research is progressing into nerve cell transplantation, nerve regeneration, and decompression surgery, as well as drug therapies.

How common are spinal cord injuries?

Approximately 450,000 people in the United States have sustained spinal cord injuries, with more cases in emergency centers every day. These injuries are dramatically more common in men than in women.
One of the most troubling aspects of spinal cord injury is their prevalence. In the United States alone, some 250,000 individuals have suffered an SCI, according to the University of Alabama National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center. Each year, approximately 11,000 new injuries occur. Perhaps even more disturbing is who suffers these injuries: 56 percent occur in individuals between the ages of 16 and 30. And the average age of an SCI victim is just 31. ...
Approximately 450,000 people in the United States have sustained spinal cord injuries, with more than 10,000 new cases of SCI emerging in the U.S. every year. Males account for 82 percent of all SCI's and females for 18 percent.
Approximately 450,000 people in the United States have sustained spinal cord injuries, with more than 10,000 new cases of SCI emerging in the U.S. every year. Males account for 82 percent of all SCI's and females for 18 percent. What are the leading causes of spinal cord injuries? Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of SCI (44 percent), followed by acts of violence (24 percent), falls (22 percent), sports injuries (8 percent), and other causes (2 percent).

Are spinal cord injuries always permanent?

There are two major classifications of spinal cord injury : Complete Incomplete A complete spinal cord injury is almost always permanent and results in the loss of function below the injured area. Depending on the location of the injury, you may become a quadriplegic or a paraplegic. In most cases, you will require some level of medical treatment and rehabilitation for the rest of your life. There is a greater chance for full recovery if you suffer from an incomplete spinal cord injury.

What types of spinal cord injuries are there?

There are basically two types of spinal cord injuries – complete and partial. In complete spinal cord injuries, there is a loss of function below the point of injury, with both sides of the body usually affected. This can result in paralysis of all four limbs, quadriplegia, or the lower half of the body, known as paraplegia. Victims with partial spinal cord injuries may be able to move one limb or part of the body more than the other or have more feeling on one side of his or her body.

What are the leading causes of spinal cord injuries?

Car wrecks and other motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of spinal cord injuries. Other causes include acts of violence, falls, and sports injuries. Diseases such as polio, spina bifida, and Friedreich’s ataxia have also resulted in spinal cord injury.
Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of SCI (44 percent), followed by acts of violence (24 percent), falls (22 percent), sports injuries (8 percent), and other causes (2 percent).

Who gets spinal cord injuries?

Gender: 77.8% of new SCI’s are male. Age: Average 32.1 years (55% are between 16 to 30 years old).

Is there a cure for spinal cord injuries?

Damage to the spinal cord due to an injury can be permanent and presently, there is no cure. However new research proves that spinal cord repair and regeneration is possible. Scientists and doctors are optimistic that new breakthroughs will soon lead to a cure.

What can be done for victims of spinal cord injuries?

Although science is making swift advances in the area of spinal cord research, there is currently nothing that can be done to repair spinal cord injuries. There is no cure for spinal cord injuries. The most important thing in handling the treatment of a spinal cord injury is to ensure that no further damage takes place.

What are the leading causes of traumatic spinal cord injuries?

Research of medical records has shown that currently motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of spinal cord injuries at 44 percent. The second leading causes are acts of violence at 24 percent (gun shot wounds, assaults, etc.). The remaining injuries are caused by falls (22 percent), sports injuries (8 percent), and other miscellaneous causes (2 percent).

How many people suffer spinal cord injuries?

It is estimated that about 250,000 people in the United States currently suffer from spinal cord injuries, or SCI. There are about 11,000 new cases each year in the United States.

How many people have spinal cord injuries?

The incidence rate of SCI in the US is about 40 cases per million; over 11,000 new cases occur each year, a new one every 41 minutes. Current estimates of Americans living with spinal cord injuries range from 225,000 to 400,000. The University of Alabama has a program to estimate the prevalence of SCI based on extrapolation from 13% of injuries.

How do people get spinal cord injuries?

Motor vehicle accidents: 47% Falls: 24% Acts of violence: 19% Recreational sporting activities: 8%

What types of treatment are available for people with spinal cord injuries?

If there is a fracture or dislocation of the spinal cord, surgery may be performed to decompress and stabilize the spinal cord. Some function may be returned after the surgery, but the surgery will not be able to recover all lost function from the injury. Rehabilitation is the mainstay of treatment. Rehab focuses on helping a person with a spinal cord injury gain as much independence as possible and includes exercises to restore and build muscle. ...

What are the most common causes of spinal cord injuries?

The most common cause of a spinal cord injury is a motor vehicle accident. Other common causes of spinal cord injuries include deliberate acts of violence (such as a stabbing or shooting), falls and sports-related injuries.

What are the different types of spinal cord injuries?

The type of spinal cord injury is classified by the doctor as: Complete - when the nerve damage obstructs every signal coming from the brain to body parts below the injury. Incomplete - when only some of the signals are obstructed. In an incomplete injury, the amount and type of message that can pass between the brain and parts of the body will depend on how many nerves have not been damaged. Paraplegia - when a person has lost feeling and is not able to move the lower parts of the body. ...

What treatments are available for spinal cord injuries?

Currently, there is no cure for spinal cord injuries. However, ongoing research to test surgical and drug therapies is progressing more rapidly than ever before. Injury progression prevention drug treatments, decompression surgery, nerve cell transplantation, nerve regeneration, and complex drug therapies are all being examined as a means to overcome the effects of spinal cord injury.

What types of spinal cord injuries lead to paralysis?

There are three main types of spinal cord injuries that can result in paralysis. This includes contusion, compression, and direct injury. Contusions arise from a direct hit to the spinal column, creating swelling and pressure that leads to nerve damage. Compression is when the spinal cord is aggressively compacted, also causing swelling and pressure that causes nerve and spinal column damage. Direct injury is when the spinal cord is cut by bone or another force, thus damaging the nerves.

How many people suffer from spinal cord injuries in the U.S. each year?

More than 11,000 people receive spinal cord injuries every year in the United States.

Why do I need an attorney experienced in spinal cord injuries?

Case development and trial of someone who has suffered a spinal cord injury presents the challenge of obtaining adequate compensation to cover the lifetime needs of the litigant. It is essential for the attorney to identify, project, and quantify the lifetime medical needs and expenses facing the spinal cord litigant and to fully and adequately prove the effects of the spinal cord injury on the litigant’s life. ...

Is the SafeGuard Transport safe for use with potential spinal cord injuries?

No, the SafeGuard Transport is not a backboard, so is not intended for use with potential spinal cord injuries.

Why is it important to work with a lawyer who specializes in spinal cord injuries?

A spinal cord injury case can be a highly complex lawsuit. For one thing, there are the medical aspects to understand, and explain to juries. And because many SCIs are the result of someone else’s wrongdoing (particularly in motor vehicle accidents), the elements of negligence often must be proven as well. Top-tier experts need to be found and properly used to establish both medical and financial elements of the case. And all the while, emotions – and stakes – run high. ...
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