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What is Spinal Cord Impairment? Spinal cord impairment occurs when any damage to the spinal cord blocks communication between your brain and your body. An injury to the spinal cord, be it a break, tear, rip or crush that is caused by physical force is called a traumatic lesion. This may have resulted from one of the four common breaks or fractures illustrated on the facing pages. A spinal cord can also be damaged through disease such as multiple sclerosis or from a malignant growth on the spine. Your spinal cord injury is related to the nerves that are damaged but can also be referred to as your level of bony injury. It is more accurate however to refer to the actual area of the spinal cord that is damaged relative to the vertebra. It is for this reason that your level of injury may be referred to by two or more vertebrae ie. C5/C6 Tetraplegia. “My level of spinal injury, impairment or lesion is _________” “The last thing I remember is getting back onto the 4-wheeler to turn it round. We had stopped to admire the view from the highest point on the Wanganui farm. It was a hot, sunny February day, and I didn’t notice, or couldn’t see, the red light that indicated that I had left the bike parked in ‘Reverse’. I don’t remember, but was told later that the bike had set off backwards and went over a very steep bluff. Afterwards I was apparently conscious, but remember nothing except for some weird dream-like memories until, two weeks later, I found myself flat on my back in a little air ambulance.” Ian Popay T5 28 © New Zealand Spinal Trust, 2014
What happens to my Nervous System? Motor messages are unable to get past the damaged area so your brain cannot control muscles below the level of your impairment. Likewise, sensory messages from below the damaged area are unable to reach the brain and you may not be able to sense heat and cold, pain or pressure. Ask your spinal specialist to show you which areas of your spinal cord have been affected on the drawing below. Reflex messages may still be able to loop or ‘rebound’ from the spinal cord, but your brain will no longer be able to dampen refle movements which may result in muscle spasm. It is important to remember that motor, sensory and reflex messages never stop being sent between your brain and your body, they simply cannot get past the level of your injury. Spinal cord impairment does not prevent the muscles and organs below the level of injury from receiving blood and nutrients. You may experience changes in breathing, temperature control, heart rate and blood pressure after your injury. You will most likely have changes to your bowel, bladder and sexual function. Not knowing how your injury will affect your sex life, or your ability to have children, can be a worrying factor for a new patient. See the Life chapter for more information on this area. 29 © New Zealand Spinal Trust, 2014
Page 3 and 4: BACK on TRACK A basic introduction
Page 5 and 6: Your rehab will not stop when you l
Page 7 and 8: "What's all this Rehab about anyway
Page 9 and 10: Contents Intro Spinal 101 Authors N
Page 11 and 12: Contents Causes - Bladder 54 Causes
Page 13 and 14: Contents Moisture 82 Fungal Infecti
Page 15: Contents Accepting reality 113 What
Page 18 and 19: A word about medical terms… The s
Page 20 and 21: Immediate Effects of Injury • In
Page 22 and 23: Your Spinal Column 22 © New Zealan
Page 24 and 25: Peripheral Nerves & Functions At ev
Page 26 and 27: Your Spinal Cord Your Spinal Cord i
Page 30 and 31: Spinal Shock, Reflexes & Spasm Spin
Page 32 and 33: Skin & Sensation The pairs of perip
Page 34 and 35: Descriptions No two spinal cord imp
Page 36 and 37: Common Terms The following table co
Page 38: Common Terms TERM FULL NAME EXPLANA

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