The most common causes of injuries to the spine are car accidents, falls, sports injuries, diving, and gunshot wounds.

What are the symptoms?

There are two types of spinal cord injuries.

Cervical spinal cord injuries are near the neck and thoracic spinal cord injuries are near the chest. Symptoms may develop immediately after the injury or they may occur gradually because of fluid accumulation around the spinal cord or swelling within the spinal cord itself.

When spinal cord injuries occur near the neck, varying degrees of symptoms can affect both the arms and the legs:

• Weakness, paralysis
• Breathing difficulties (from paralysis of the breathing muscles)
• Spasticity (increased muscle tone)
• Sensory changes
• Numbness
• Pain
• Loss of normal bowel and bladder control (constipation, incontinence, bladder spasms)

Thoracic spinal cord injuries occur at chest level, varying degrees of symptoms can affect the legs:

• Weakness, paralysis
• Breathing difficulties (from paralysis of the breathing muscles)
• Spasticity (increased muscle tone)
• Sensory changes
• Numbness
• Pain
• Loss of normal bowel and bladder control (constipation, incontinence,bladder spasms)

What Should I do if I think my child may have a spinal cord injury?

Spinal cord injury is a medical emergency requiring immediate attention to minimize the long-term effects. If you think your child may have a spinal cord injury immediately contact 911 and your local children's hospital to seek medical attention for your child. The time between the injury and treatment is a critical factor affecting the eventual outcome.

What is the Treatment?

The doctor will conduct a neurologic examination to indicate the location of the injury. Surgery may be necessary. Extensive physical therapy, occupational therapy, and other rehabilitation interventions are often required after the injury has healed.

If your child has suffered from a spinal cord injury contact Villari, Brandes & Kline so we can determine if it was caused by the fault of another.