Different Degrees of Spinal Cord Injury
Different Degrees of Spinal Cord Injury
Different Degrees of Spinal Cord InjuryYour spinal cord is one of the most vital parts of your body. It is a long series of nerves and fibers that runs from the base of your skull down to your tailbone. These nerves and fibers send signals from your brain to the various parts of your body and back again controlling your voluntary and involuntary movement. The spinal cord has some protection by being encased in the vertebrae that make up the spine itself. However, the spine cannot protect itself against every possible injury. There are different degrees of spinal cord injury that can cause serious and lasting effects. The parts of your body affected often depend on where along your spine the injury occurred.
Spinal cord injuries can be classified as either a complete injury or an incomplete injury. An injury is considered complete if you have no motor function or you lack of sensation even at the very end of your spinal cord, in the perineal or anal region. An incomplete injury is divided into three levels:
Sensory incomplete (ASIA grade B) Minimal sensation felt below the injury site
Weak motor incomplete (ASIA grade C) Voluntary muscle contraction exists in the rectum and some weak muscle control below the injury site
Strong motor incomplete (ASIA grade D) same as previous, however most muscles are strong
Paralysis is the symptom most common with serious spinal cord injuries. Paralysis can be divided into quadriplegia/tetraplegia and paraplegia. The level of paralysis depends on where in the spinal cord the injury occurred. If the injury occurred in the neck affecting your cervical cords, the injury could result in quadriplegia/tetraplegia in which all four limbs are paralyzed. Quadriplegics may also have difficulty breathing due to the lack of control of their respiratory muscles. Quadriplegia can be complete or incomplete, meaning that you may still have some limited muscle movement at your extremities. Many, though not all, quadriplegics may require long-term assistance in order to perform basic, everyday needs.
Paraplegia, on the other hand, occurs when the spinal cord injury is below the neck. Paraplegics have no paralysis in their arms or hands, and the level of paralysis depends on where the spinal injury occurred. It can vary from just a difficulty in moving the legs to complete paralysis up to the upper abdomen. Paraplegics are often able to live independently after their injury, especially with the help of a wheel chair.
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