Spine Injury
A spine injury damages the spinal cord itself or nearby tissues and bones. Depending on the severity of the injury, you may lose function or mobility in different parts of your body. Treatments include surgery, medication and physical therapy. A newer approach looks to tap working nerves.
Causes of Spine Injury
The main causes are:-
Vehicle crashes- Falls
- Violence
- Sports
- Medical reasons/surgeries
Symptoms & Signs
- Extreme back pain
- Pressure in back, neck, or head
- Impaired coordination or paralysis in any part of the body
- Numbness, tingling, or loss of sensation
- Loss of bladder or bowel control
- Headache
Testing & Diagnosis
In the trauma situation, the doctor will check first to make sure the patient has a working airway, is breathing and has a pulse. The next step in the evaluation is to assess an individual’s neurologic function. The doctor will do this by testing the patient’s strength and sensation in his/her arms and legs. If there is obvious weakness or the patient is not fully awake, the patient is kept in a rigid cervical collar and on a spine board until a full imaging assessment can be complete.
Certain imaging tests can help diagnose a spinal cord injury:
- CT scan, to see broken bones, blood clots or blood vessel damage.
- MRI, to see the spinal cord or soft tissues.
- X-ray, to show broken bones or dislocations
Treatment
Emergency actions
Urgent medical attention is critical to minimize the effects of any head or neck trauma. Therefore, treatment for a spine injury often begins at the scene of the accident.
Emergency personnel typically immobilize the spine as gently and quickly as possible using a rigid neck collar and a rigid carrying board, which they’ll use to transport you to the hospital.
Early (acute) stages of treatment
In the emergency room, doctors focus on:
- Maintaining your ability to breathe
- Preventing shock
- Immobilizing your neck to prevent further spinal cord damage
- Avoiding possible complications, such as stool or urine retention, respiratory or cardiovascular difficulty, and formation of deep vein blood clots in the extremities
If you do have a spine injury, you’ll usually be admitted to the intensive care unit for treatment. You may even be transferred to a regional spine injury center that has a team of neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, spinal cord medicine specialists, psychologists, nurses, therapists and social workers with expertise in spinal cord injury.
Medications
Intravenous methylprednisolone has been used as a treatment option for an acute spinal cord injury in the past. But recent research has shown that the potential side effects, such as blood clots and pneumonia, from using this medication outweigh the benefits. Because of this, methylprednisolone is no longer recommended for routine use after a spinal cord injury.
- Immobilization You may need traction to stabilize your spine, to bring the spine into proper alignment or both. In some cases, a rigid neck collar may work. A special bed also may help immobilize your body.
- Surgery Often surgery is necessary to remove fragments of bones, foreign objects, herniated disks or fractured vertebrae that appear to be compressing the spine. Surgery may also be needed to stabilize the spine to prevent future pain or deformity.
A note from Dr. Vardan
Spine Injury can have a major impact on your life. If you’re dealing with a spine injury, it’s important to have a strong support system. This support system may include your healthcare providers, family members, friends and community organizations. You can all work together to improve your health and quality of life.
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