Know More about Spinal Cord Injury

The spinal cord is a very important part of the human body. It extends from the brain to the lower back. It carries messages between the body and the brain. The spinal cord is encased in the spinal canal. It has an opening in the vertebral column that is guarded by the bony parts of the vertebrae. The spinal canal has the spinal cord and the posterior longitudinal ligament. This ligament sits between the cord and the back of the vertebra. A Spinal cord injury or SCI can happen due to a serious high speed accident or sporting activity. In some cases a rare but devastating injury may also occur after infections, ischemic damage or tumors.

Although, anyone at any point of time, can encounter a spinal injury but, the largest risk group are younger people. This is due to their propensity to perform risky activities. Degenerative disc disease can be treated and the condition of the patient may become better with conservative treatment. The line of treatment of this disc disease includes anti-inflammatory medications, pain management and physical therapy. Steroid injections or nerve blocks may be induced to reduce the pain. Some other conditions that can cause degenerative disc disease are neither congenital nor the result of aging process. Tumors may attack any of the spinal spaces and compress nerves. Paget's disease is a bone disorder that compels the vertebrae to thicken, blocking the openings.

Sometimes when the pain is uncontrollable or there are signs of cord compression, a surgery is recommended to relieve pressure on the cord or spinal nerves. Most degenerative disc disease affects the lumbar or lower back, area. An acute pain radiates down the patient’s leg. Many times this pain is relieved if one sits or bends forward. In severe cases, a patient may lose bowel, bladder or sexual function and experience difficulty in walking as well. This disease may also occur in the neck or cervical spine area. People suffering with this may feel pain radiating down an arm, numbness or tingling in the arm or leg. These patients may also face difficulty with fine motor skills, such as problems in walking, picking things up with their fingers or writing or loss of bladder and bowel control.

A spinal cord injury or SCI can also result in the loss of the ability to move or feel. These injuries are categorized as- complete or incomplete injuries. A complete injury is a spinal injury in which a person loses nerve function and also the ability to control movement below the injury. This usually includes the inability to control one's legs, bowel, and bladder. A patient can still maintain control over the arms and legs. Degenerative disc disease is a medical condition that is generally found in elderly people. Spinal Decompression therapy is a modern healthcare treatment for back and neck pain. This therapy offers great effectiveness of spinal decompression in relieving pain and symptoms.

David G. Harris - About Author:
David G. Harris is popular Degenerative disc disease with many years of experience. He finds interest in writing as well and has written many a health article covering diversified topics such as back pain,Spinal cord injury etc. To know more about him and his topics, check out http://www.spinetherapys.com/.

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