Your spine is made of many bones called vertebrae. Your spinal cord runs downward through a canal in the center of these bones. Acute spinal cord injury (SCI) is due to a traumatic injury that bruises, partially tears, or completely tears the spinal cord.

Damage can be due to various causes

People can receive damage to the spinal cord due to an accident, for example a:

• Motor accident
• Diving mishap
• Fall
• Sporting accident
• Household accident

Loss of function usually relates to site of Injury

The amount of function lost tends to correspond to the level in the spinal cord where the damage takes place. A break near the top of the neck can mean that even breathing is difficult and that people must use a respirator. People with an injury in the lower neck, however, usually have arm movement but perhaps not finger movement. However they can often drive, work, write etc with the help of specialized equipment.

People with damage to the upper part of the spinal cord are called quadriplegics. People with damage below this level are called paraplegic.

People with injuries in the lower back can have sensation and movement right to the hips. They can usually live totally independently with a minimum of help, as long as they can use a wheelchair and have the necessary alterations to their home, their bathroom and car.

There are many degrees of injury and function loss, which don’t always correspond to the level of the injury on the spine. Sometimes a quadriplegic only sustains partial damage to the spinal cord and can actually walk, though they may have lost other functions. At all levels, there is usually some loss of function in the bowel and bladder.

Some common Health problems

Other problems which can arise for people with spinal cord injuries are:

Frequent urinary tract infections
Kidney stones
Muscle spasm
Pressure sores from sitting in one position for too long without a correct pressure cushion
Wide and rapid fluctuations in body temperature
Some common causes of Spinal Cord Injury

Most spinal cord injuries are caused by accidents.
Loss of function tends to correspond to the level in the spinal cord where damage occurred.
People with spinal cord injuries can lead productive lives.
Lower back pain occurs due to several causes such as muscle strain, incorrect posture, over-use and spinal injuries, etc.