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Brown-Sequard Syndrome
Where the damage is mainly on one side of
the cord. On the injured side, muscle power
may be reduced or absent and pressure
and position sense are disordered. The
other side experiences loss of, or reduced
sensations of pain and temperature but
movement, pressure and position sense
tend to remain.
Tetraplegia / Quadriplegia
Those who injure their spine in the cervical
region will have partial or complete paralysis
of their arms. They are referred to as people
who have tetraplegia because four limbs are
affected. Quadriplegia describes the same
condition and is more commonly used in
America.
Neurology
Any injury that damages the spinal cord
will be described by medical professionals
as ‘an injury that has neurology’ i.e. it has
neurological damage.
An injury to the spine that does not damage
the spinal cord is referred to by medical
professionals as an ‘injury without having
neurology’. This means that the neurology
(nervous system) is unaffected and normal.
Most patients without any neurology will be
treated by orthopaedic specialists and not
referred to a spinal unit.
Cauda Equina Lesion
The ‘horses tail’ of nerves that spread out
from the base of the spinal cord. An injured
cauda equina may result in a patchy loss
of power and sensation to the lower limbs.
Functional recovery can happen over 12-
18 months if the roots are not completely
crushed. The bowel and bladder are usually
severely affected
Paralysis
Paralysis simply means the inability to feel
or deliberately move parts of your body.
Paraplegia
The term used that describes the condition
of paralysis below the level of the neck
(below T1) is paraplegia. People who have
paraplegia will have partial or total paralysis
of their legs and trunk.
“When I was going through
rehabilitation I learnt a lot off
other para’s and tetras who
came back in the unit for reassessments
etc.
They provided me with a lot of
feedback and helpful tips and
information. I seemed to take
more notice of them because they
had a chair under their bum.
More credibility I suppose?”
Keith Jarvie C4/5
35
© New Zealand Spinal Trust, 2014