Spinal Cord Injury Symptoms

What Is Spinal Cord Injury?

SCI is described as damage to the nerves and cells in charge of delivering and receiving information from our brain to the rest of our body. This damage affects the lower brain and spreads to the lower back. It can occur due to various factors, ranging from trauma in a vehicle collision to damage caused by a serious illness like cancer.

Every year, approximately 250,000 and 500,000 people suffer from spinal cord injuries. SCI symptoms can differ from person to person based on factors such as the degree and location of the damage. [¹]

Types of Spinal Cord Injuries

Scientists divide spinal cord injuries into the following two types:

Complete: A complete spinal cord injury is the more severe form of SCI. The affected individual may experience no nerve communication and cannot control the smallest fraction of motor or sensory function below the affected region.
Incomplete: An incomplete spinal cord injury is a case where the spinal cord is functional to a certain extent. A patient with this form of SCI may be capable of receiving and transmitting messages from their brain. As a result, people with incomplete SCI may be able to control some extent of muscle activity in the damaged region and retain a percentage of sensory functions. [²]

How is Spinal Cord Injury Diagnosed?

A medical health professional may have to conduct several tests and physical examinations to diagnose a spinal cord injury. Some of the tests an individual suspected of SCI may undergo include:

MRI: An MRI scan may help doctors get a clear computerized image of the injury site. Medical health professionals can detect spinal region abnormalities and issues like herniated disks through an MRI scan.
CT scan: This test involves using computers to form cross-sectional imaging, which may disclose the extent and location of the damage. CT scans can also help detect blood clots.
Somatosensory evoked potential: An SSEP test helps reveal if nerve signal activity is passing through the Spinal cord region of an individual suspected of an SCI.
Myelogram: This test involves medical health professionals injecting a dye into a patient's spine and then taking an X-ray of the spinal region to rule out the disease. [³]

Spinal Cord Injury Staging

Scientists have broken down the vertebra into sections to evaluate spinal cord injury levels. The higher the placement of the damaged area on the spinal cord, the more dysfunction it can induce. [⁴]

Is Spinal Cord Injury Hereditary?

Spinal cord injury is not hereditary. However, data shows that SCI and genetics are linked. Nonetheless, additional study is needed in this area. [⁵]

Spinal Cord Injury Symptoms

The symptoms of a spinal cord injury might differ from one patient to the next based on factors such as the location and nature of the injury. If you experience any symptoms connected with spinal cord injury, you must seek prompt evaluation and treatment.

What Are the Symptoms of Spinal Cord Injury?

Common symptoms that individuals with spinal cord injuries may experience include [⁶]:

Excruciating pain in the back, neck or head
Difficulty walking
Weakness
Breathing issues
Difficulty maintaining balance
Tingling or numbing sensation
Lack of bowel or bladder control

It is important to note that it is not necessary for an individual experiencing these symptoms to have an SCI. These symptoms can be linked with other health conditions or backbone fractures. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you must avoid lifting heavy objects and seek medical help immediately.

Other long-term symptoms of SCI include:

Infertility
Loss of movement in certain regions
Abnormal reflexes
Muscle spasms
Difficulty coughing or breathing
Alterations in sexual function

What Are Some Signs of Spinal Cord Injury?

Some common signs of spinal cord injuries include [⁷]:

Loss of sensation or tingling in the toes, feet, hands or fingers
Unusual lumps located in the spine or head regions
Mild to severe pain
Unusual band-like sensation in the area between the abdomen and the neck (Thorax)

Symptoms of Spinal Cord Injury in Women vs. Symptoms of Spinal Cord Injury in Men

Both males and females experience similar symptoms of spinal cord injuries ranging from pain, loss of movement, and numbing or tingling sensations to breathing difficulties and fatigue. However, the findings of a study suggest that females may experience an increased frequency of nociceptive pain than males and have a higher intake of NSAIDs (non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs). [⁸]

Risk Factors for Spinal Cord Injury

Several risk factors might raise an individual's chances of developing SCI. However, individuals without risk factors for spinal cord injuries can also sustain them. Some risk factors associated with spinal cord injuries include [⁹] [¹⁰]:

Age: Age is one of the key risk factors of SCI since individuals between the age of 15 to 35 years of age are at the highest risk of developing spinal cord injuries. This is because young adults have a higher risk of car accidents, sports injuries and violent incidents.
Gender: According to data, men are approximately four times more prone to sustaining spinal cord injuries than women due to factors like reckless decisions and violence.

Spinal Cord Injury Prevention

Although spinal cord injury is not preventable, there are steps one can take to minimize the risk of developing SCI. They include [¹¹]:

Avoid driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Take precautionary measures to avoid tripping or falling in your home, e.g. avoid wearing slippery footwear or installing slippery surfaces within your home.
Wear a helmet when riding a bike.
Wear protective gear when participating in sports activities like skiing, football, hockey, etc.
Make a habit of wearing a seat belt when travelling in a vehicle.
Keep firearms out of reach and unloaded at all times.

Spinal Cord Injury Prognosis and Treatment

The prognosis of a spinal cord injury is determined by factors such as the injury's location and the type of SCI a patient has. Those with incomplete SCI have a more positive outlook since most incomplete SCI patients make a significant recovery two years following the injury. However, individuals with complete SCI may find recovery more challenging — especially if their spinal cord injury is accompanied by paralysis. [¹²]

Spinal Cord Injury Survival Rate

A 20-year-old who sustains a severe tetraplegia spinal injury and lives for at minimum a year can expect to live for approximately 33.7 years. This statistic shows the life expectancy for individuals who survive at least one year after the injury. [¹³]

Spinal Cord Injury Treatment Options

Even though there are no known techniques to repair the damage to the spinal cord, scientists are developing novel therapies centred around drugs and prostheses to aid in healing the injured nerves after a spinal cord injury. Depending on the severity and injury site, doctors may take several treatment routes when treating a patient with a spinal cord injury.

Some of these treatment routes include [¹⁴]:

Medication
Surgery
Traction
Experimental treatments
Occupational therapy
Physical therapy
Functional electrical stimulation
Recreational therapy
Vocational therapy

Your medical health professional may recommend a combination of more than one of these treatments depending on the severity of your symptoms.

Conclusion

Takeaway

Thousands of individuals worldwide suffer spinal cord injuries yearly due to car accidents, slips, or other illnesses. If not diagnosed and treated promptly, spinal cord injuries can progress and lead to disability. Getting prompt diagnosis and treatment can help you avoid further damage and set you on the road to recovery.