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About Spinal Cord Injury

What is the spinal column?

The spinal column consists of bones (or vertebrae), which are stacked on top of each other. This column supports the head and encloses the spinal cord.

There are:

  • 7 cervical vertebrae in the neck.
  • 12 thoracic vertebrae in the upper back
  • 5 lumbar vertebrae in the lower back
  • 5 sacral vertebrae that are fused together to form the sacrum
  • 4 coccygeal vertebrae that are also fused together to form the coccyx.

We refer to the vertebrae by their name and number so that the cervical vertebrae are C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 and C7. "C" stands for "cervical" and the number is the position of the vertebrae counting downwards from the head. So, the thoracic vertebrae become T1 to T12 and the lumbar vertebrae are L1 to L5. The sacrum and coccyx do not have numbers as each is thought of as one bone.

What is the spinal cord?

The spinal cord is an extension of the brain that runs down the back and is surrounded and protected by the spinal column. It consists of millions of nerve fibres that transmit information to and from the limbs, trunk and organs of the body. (Insert SCI picture 1)

The human nervous system has 2 parts. They both do different things but they still work together.

1.The somatic (voluntary) nervous system

Is responsible for the activities in our bodies that are under our control,, like the movement of our arms, legs and other muscles and joints, and the feeling in our skin.

2.The autonomic (involuntary) nervous system

Looks after the activities that happen automatically in our bodies, like our blood vessels and how blood moves around our bodies, breathing, some aspects of bladder, bowel and sexual function, sweating and temperature control.

What is spinal cord injury?

Spinal cord injury happens if forces are applied to the spinal cord by direct damage to its nerve cells or fibres or indirectly by disruption of blood and oxygen supply by damage to blood vessels.

Usually the bone ligamentous injury will be present but not always.

Terms you may hear:

  • Quadriplegia (or Tetraplegia mean exactly the same thing). This occurs when there is an injury to the spinal cord in the neck or cervical cord segments. Quadriplegia (or Tetraplegia) mean that there is paralysis and loss of feeling in all 4 limbs, the trunk and bladder, bowel and sex organs.
  • Paraplegia occurs when there is an injury in the spinal cord below the neck. This causes paralysis and loss of feeling in the legs, trunk and bladder, bowel and sex organs. Arm and hand function is normal.

A Complete Injury is when there is complete loss of movement and feeling below the level of the injury. Damage has occurred so that the brain and spinal cord above the level of damage cannot pass information to the spinal cord below the area of damage.

An Incomplete Injury is when there is some movement and feeling below the level of the injury. Damage has occurred such that there is some communication between brain and spinal cord above the area of damage to the spinal cord below the area of damage.

Possible Affects of Spinal Cord Injury on the Body:

  • Paralysis - Loss of ability to voluntarily contract muscles below the area of damage.
  • Loss of feeling below the level of the injury e.g.
  • Altered awareness of touch or pressure on the skin,
  • Altered awareness of pain
  • Inability to tell the difference between hot and cold
  • Knowing what body parts are doing and what position they are in without looking at them
  • Blood pressure and circulation may be altered
  • Breathing may be affected
  • Temperature control including sweating may be affected
  • Awareness of fullness and control of bladder and bowel evacuation
  • Altered sexual function
  • Altered fertility in males

REMEMBER: All spinal cord injuries are different and what happens with one person does not necessarily happen with another.

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