Advanced Care for Spinal Cord Injury Symptoms

Your spinal cord is made up of nerves that connect your brain to the rest of your body. Spinal nerves control everything from involuntary movements, like breathing and blinking, to voluntary movements, like walking and talking. A spinal cord injury can involve damage to your spinal nerves, vertebrae (spine bones), discs (the cushioning between vertebrae) or ligaments (bands that hold the vertebrae together and support your spine).  

Different types of spinal cord injuries can occur. A traumatic spinal cord injury may result from a car crash or hard hit to your back. Or, you can have a nontraumatic spinal cord injury from conditions like cancer, degenerative disc disease, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.  

Spinal cord injury symptoms depend on the location of the spine injury. Your symptoms also depend on spinal cord injury levels or severity. 

• A complete spinal injury means you can’t feel or move any part of your body below the injury.  
• An incomplete spinal injury is when you have some feeling or ability to move parts of your body below the injury. 

Back and neck injuries can be serious, so it’s important to get medical attention right away to prevent paralysis or other serious problems. Spine injury treatment requires emergency care from a team of specialists to protect your spine and keep you safe. Your treatment may include braces and devices to support your spine, medicines, surgery and other therapies. Also, you’ll work with our rehabilitation team to learn how to manage symptoms or physical limitations so you can live as independently as possible. 

Our Integrated Approach to Spine Care