| Without any effort on your part, your heart | | | | cord injury. |
| quietly and systematically beats. Your stomach | | | | Nontraumatic injuries can occur as a result of |
| digests your evening meal with no voluntary help | | | | cancer or other illnesses, arthritis, infection or |
| from you. And, by the same token, your spinal | | | | inflammation or disk degeneration. No matter |
| cord provides the structure and neurological | | | | what the cause, a person is left with damage to |
| information that enables you to move with ease | | | | nerves that might correspond with motion or |
| and to take full advantage of your sense of | | | | sensation. When serious, the consequences can be |
| touch. In many cases, it is only when you sustain | | | | devastating. |
| an injury to your spinal cord that you even stop | | | | Some minor injuries only require rest and time in |
| to wonder what it is, how it works, and what you | | | | order to heal. More severe ones, however, are |
| can do to restore it to health. | | | | only alleviated by spinal surgery. As medical |
| Approximately the diameter of a human finger, | | | | technology continues to advance, these |
| the spinal cord is connected to your brain and | | | | procedures are becoming less invasive and more |
| extends down your back. It is surrounded by a | | | | effective. Unfortunately, damage to the spinal |
| protective substance called cerebral spinal fluid and | | | | cord cannot be reversed. However, the goal of |
| is encased in the vertebral column. Millions of tiny | | | | spinal surgery is to prevent further damage and |
| nerve fibers combine to form it, acting as | | | | to give the patient the tools to regain as much |
| transmitters of information to and from the brain | | | | physical and sensory functioning as possible. |
| to all the various parts of the body. The spinal | | | | If an accident occurs, it is vital that the patient |
| cord is responsible for transmitting such vital data | | | | receive medical care immediately. Usually, medical |
| as joint position, pain, touch, and body | | | | personnel will immobilize the neck and spine and |
| temperature to the brain. | | | | transport the patient to intensive care for a full |
| In addition, it carries messages from the brain | | | | evaluation. In certain acute cases, a drug called |
| having to do with the initiation of movement and | | | | Methylprednisolone (Medrol) is prescribed. When |
| the controlling of body functions. Day and night, | | | | given during the first eight hours, it can reduce |
| your spinal cord is absolutely essential to your | | | | spinal cord inflammation and nerve damage. |
| interactions with the world, your physical | | | | During the weeks and months of recovery, a |
| movements, and your very survival. | | | | patient will receive attention from an |
| It is only when spinal injury occurs that we | | | | interdisciplinary team of therapists and |
| become truly aware of the central role it plays in | | | | rehabilitation professionals. Whether injury is major |
| our lives. Traumatic injury happens when one or | | | | or minor and whether or not back surgery is |
| more of your vertebrae are ruptured, | | | | ultimately recommended, the importance of the |
| compressed, or otherwise damaged as the result | | | | doctor-patient relationship cannot be |
| of a severe blow, or when the spinal cord is | | | | overemphasized. It is vital that you trust and |
| penetrated or severed by a knife blade or | | | | communicate well with your spine doctors. After |
| gunshot. Automobile accidents and assaults are | | | | all, your spinal cord is an indispensable part of who |
| the most common causes of traumatic spinal | | | | you are. |