Will you be paralyzed because of a spinal injury?
Spinal cord injuries vary in severity, with some being minor enough to return to work or your normal activities in a few weeks, whereas others last a lifetime. With two major kinds, complete and incomplete, it’s easier to understand just how severe your injuries are.
Incomplete injuries are as they sound; they don’t completely cut through the spinal cord or column. As a result, you don’t necessarily lose control of your extremities. You may not lose feeling. It’s normal to have some nerve pain or weakness as a result of a partial, or incomplete, injury.
A complete injury is different, since it fully destroys the nerve pathway from one area of the spine to the other. A complete injury almost always results in full paralysis and a loss of sensation. Fortunately, in both incomplete and complete injuries, there’s a chance for some recovery with quick treatment.
Immediately following the injury, it’s vital that you seek medical attention. Quick use of anti-inflammatory medications, such as corticosteroids, bring down swelling and reduce further damage to the spinal cord. Traction or braces may be used to stabilize your spinal cord, while rehabilitation can help you regain some muscle strength and mobility following an injury.
Spinal cord injuries are some of the most dangerous, which is why it’s so important to make sure you get help from a Sacramento spinal cord injury lawyer as soon as possible. Once you do, you can submit the medical documents as part of your claim against the person who caused your severe injuries. With help, you can obtain fair compensation to cover the medical needs you have now and in the future.
Source: Medline Plus, “Spinal Cord Injuries,” accessed Jan. 31, 2018