Spinal Cord Injury

General Information

A spinal cord injury is damage directly to the spinal cord.  The spinal cord is a thick bundle of nerves that runs from the brain to the lower back. This bundle of nerves is inside  a bony passageway that is formed by the holes in the middle of every vertebra.  This passage is known as the “spinal canal.” The spinal cord carries sensations and messages to and from the brain and the rest of the body.  A spinal cord injury can affect sensation and control of movement of the whole body.

The spinal cord may be injured if you have an injury to the back that:

1. Breaks the spinal bones
2. Move the spinal bones out of place
3. Goes through or between the bones (example: a bullet wound)
4. Crushes the disks between the bones and pushes them into the spinal canal

When the spinal cord is crushed, stretched, or torn, the nerves are damaged. If the damage is only bruising or swelling, the nerves may be able to heal; however, if the nerves are crushed, cut, or torn, they usually cannot grow back.