Can you live with a damaged spinal cord?

Can you live with a damaged spinal cord?

Overall, 85% of people with spinal cord injury who survive the first 24 hours are still alive 10 years later. The most common cause of death is due to diseases of the respiratory system, with most of these being due to pneumonia.

How long can you live with spinal cord injury?

Individuals aged 60 years at the time of injury have a life expectancy of approximately 7.7 years (patients with high tetraplegia), 9.9 years (patients with low tetraplegia), and 12.8 years (patients with paraplegia).

What spinal cord injury is fatal?

A C1 through C2 vertebrae injury is considered to be the most severe of all spinal cord injuries as it can lead to full paralysis—but is most often fatal. Depending upon their severity, these types of spinal cord injury are either categorized as complete or incomplete.

Is a spinal injury serious?

A serious spinal injury isn't always immediately obvious. If it isn't recognized, a more severe injury may occur. Numbness or paralysis may occur immediately or come on gradually as bleeding or swelling occurs in or around the spinal cord.

How many people are living with a spinal cord injury?

• Spinal Cord Injury. According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Association, as many as 450,000 people in the United States are living with a spinal cord injury (SCI). Other organizations conservatively estimate this figure to be about 250,000.

What recovery is expected following spinal cord injury?

• However, there is not yet a way to reverse damage to an injured spinal cord. Even so, as the body heals from the injury, some patients may recover some spinal cord function up to six or twelve months after injury. Recovery from a spinal cord injury requires long-term hospitalization and rehabilitation.

What to do if someone has a spinal cord injury?

• Physical therapy can help the spinal cord injury patient strengthen and stretch the muscles that are affected. Physical therapy can also help train patients on how to use assistive devices, such as walkers and wheelchairs, as well as how to manage side effects from spinal cord injuries, such as pain and muscle spasms.

How many spinal cord injuries happen a year?

• Spinal cord injuries affect between four and five million Americans per year. As a matter of fact, there are about 300,000 people in the United States living with spinal cord injuries as you read this. Most spinal cord injuries occur between the ages of 16 and 30,...