spinal cord injury rehabilitation di Ipoh

SPINAL CORD INJURY

Pathophysiology of Spinal Cord injury

The pathophysiology of spinal cord injury can be categorized as acute impact or

compression. ... Spinal cord compression occurs when a mass impinges on the

spinal cord causing increased parenchymal pressure. The tissue response is

gliosis, demyelination, and axonal loss.

Damage to any part of the spinal cord or nerves at the end of the spinal canal

— often causes permanent changes in strength, sensation and other body

functions below the site of the injury.

If you've recently experienced a spinal cord injury, it might seem like every

aspect of your life will be affected.

Your ability to control your limbs after spinal cord injury depends on two factors:

the place of the injury along your spinal cord and the severity of injury to

the spinal cord.

The lowest part of your spinal cord that functions normally after injury is

referred to as the neurological level of your injury. The severity of the injury

is often called "the completeness" and is classified as either of the following:

Type of lesion

• Complete. If almost all feeling (sensory) and all ability to control movement
•  (motor function) are lost below the spinal cord injury, your injury is called complete.
• Incomplete. If you have some motor or sensory function below the affected 
• area, your injury is called incomplete. There are varying degrees of incomplete injury.

Additionally, paralysis from a spinal cord injury may be referred to as:

• Tetraplegia. Also known as quadriplegia, this means your arms, hands, 
• trunk, legs and pelvic organs are all affected by your spinal cord injury.
• Paraplegia. This paralysis affects all or part of the trunk, legs and pelvic organs.

Your health care team will perform a series of tests to determine the neurological level

and completeness of your injury.

Comment causes of Spinal Cord injury

• Vehicular / Automobile Accidents
• Falls
• Violence (Primarily From Gunshot Wounds)
• Sports Injury
• Medical / Surgical Complications
• Miscellaneous / Other Causes

While non-traumatic spinal cord injuries are not nearly as prevalent as traumatic

spinal cord injury, they still can cause damage to the spinal cord. Some causes

may include:

• Cancer Osteoporosis / Spinal Tumors
• Multiple sclerosis
• Inflammation of the spinal cord
• Arthritis
• Spinal Stenosis
• Blood Loss

Any kind may result in one or more of the following Signs and Symptoms:

• Loss of movement
• Loss of sensation, including the ability to feel heat, cold and touch
• Loss of bowel or bladder control
• Exaggerated reflex activities or spasms
• Changes in sexual function, sexual sensitivity and fertility
• Pain or an intense stinging sensation caused by damage to the nerve
•  fibers in your spinal cord
• Difficulty breathing, coughing or clearing secretions from your lungs