What’s the difference between a bit of back muscle strain and a serious spinal injury that could cause a lifetime of problems? Discover all this, right here…
In most cases, back pain won’t cause any long-term effects. If you fall and bruise your spine, the pain will eventually go away, although you may need a few painkillers and days of rest.
That said, it’s important to be aware of the symptoms of serious spinal cord injuries, as they can be hard to spot, and can cause a lot of damage very quickly. For example, the dangers of cauda equina syndrome are unknown to many, but this condition comes on quickly and can cause permanent paralysis within just 48 hours.
In this article, we talk about the causes and types of spinal injuries, when to see a doctor, and useful information about coping with a spinal cord injury. With this knowledge, you should be able to tell the difference between something mundane, and something more serious.
What is a Spinal Injury?
The spine is not just for keeping us upright; it houses the spinal cord which travels from the brain stem down to the lower back. The spinal cord nerves are responsible for carrying messages from the brain to the rest of our body. When the spinal cord is damaged, it can have serious consequences.
There are three main types of spinal injuries to be aware of. These include:
- Disease and illness:spinal cord diseases are rare but tend to be serious and often degenerative (meaning they get worse over time). Some examples include tumors, degenerative disc disease, and spinal stenosis.
- Fractures:fractures to the bones of the spine can lead to damage to the spinal cord.
- Compression:when the spinal cord is compressed, it can cause damage to the nerves that carry signals to and from the brain.
An injury like this can either be complete or incomplete. A complete spinal cord injury occurs when there is permanent damage to the spinal cord, and an incomplete spinal cord injury is only partial damage.
Complete Spinal Injury
A person who has a complete spinal cord injury will typically experience paraplegia or tetraplegia – total paralysis and loss of sensation below where the injury occurs.
Incomplete Spinal Injury
A person with an incomplete spinal cord injury can experience a range of effects, including:
- Loss of sensation and mobility below the point of injury
- Difficulties with bladder and bowel function
- Sexual dysfunction
- Respiratory problems
- Neuropathic pain (pain caused by disease or damage to the nervous system)
- Muscle wasting and weakness
Causes of Spinal Injuries
Within these broad categories, there can be a vast range of causes, such as:
- Road traffic accidents
- Falls
- Sports injuries
- Violent crime
- Clinical negligence (also called medical negligence), such as:
- Failing to diagnose a back injury
- Not providing the right treatment
- Providing treatment or referring for treatment too late
- Surgical mistakes
- Birth injuries or defects (for example, spina bifida or cauda equina syndrome after giving birth)
- Infections and inflammation
The Four Levels of Spinal Cord Injury
Spinal cord anatomy is divided into four sections, each of which protects a different group of nerves and controls different areas of the body. The effects of a spinal injury and the prognosis for recovery usually depend on the level at which the spine is injured. The four levels are:
- Cervical: cervical spinal cord injuries affect the head and neck area of the spine above the shoulders.
- Thoracic: thoracic spinal cord injuries affect the upper torso area, including the upper chest, mid-back and abdominal muscles.
- Lumbar:lumbar spinal cord injuries affect the lower back area, the hips and the legs.
- Sacral: sacral spinal cord injuries affect the hips, buttocks, pelvic area and the back of the thighs.
Prognosis for a Spinal Injury
An injury to the spine can be debilitating. For some, however, it can be something that will heal over time. Whether there are long-lasting effects will really depend on these things:
- The severity of the injury itself.
- Where on the spine the injury occurs.
- How quickly the injured person receives medical help.
- The quality of that medical help.
- The health of the person affected by the spinal injury.
Types of Spinal Injury
As we’ve seen, an injury to the backbone is a very complex thing; there are a number of factors involved. So, here, we thought we’d discuss some of the main types of spinal injury to help you understand it better. Cold laser therapy is low-intensity laser therapy that stimulates healing while using low levels of light. Cold laser therapy hudson valley provides industry leading technology in cold laser therapy as a treatment that is free from prescription drugs.Some specific examples include:
Spinal Stenosis
Spinal stenosis occurs when the spinal canal which houses the spinal cord starts to narrow or get compressed. This results in the spinal cord being ‘pinched’, leading to pain, weakness, numbness and cramping. Symptoms occur in the lower back, legs, neck, shoulder or arms depending on what part of the spinal cord is affected.If you have pain in the lower back it’s also called lumbar spinal stenosis. In some cases this can be treated with the Mild Procedure of Vertos Med.
Spinal stenosis can affect people as they get older. It can also occur if you have an injury or surgery on the spine. There is no cure for spinal stenosis, but symptoms can be managed with medication, exercise and, in some cases, surgery.
Cauda Equina Syndrome
CES is a type of spinal stenosis where the ‘cauda equina’ nerves in the lower back become extremely compressed. Symptoms include:
- Tingling, weakness and/or numbness in both legs that worsens over time
- Severe pain down the backs of one or both legs
- Numbness around the genital area of the anus
- Difficulty going to the toilet or losing control of the bladder or bowel
Cauda equina syndrome is exceptionally serious and, if not treated quickly, can result in permanent paralysis and incontinence. Anyone with symptoms of CES should seek medical advice immediately and receive treatment within 48 hours.
Unfortunately, because CES can cause so much damage so quickly, doctors may not be able to act in time. When they do not, the affected person may be able to claim compensation for medical negligence.
Slipped Disc / Herniated Disc
Slipped discs occur when the cushion of tissue between each bone in the spine slip and push out, pressing and pinching the nerves of the spinal cord. Symptoms include pain, tingling, weakness and numbness.
This may occur in different areas of the body, depending on where the nerve is being affected. For example, a herniated disc in the lower back may pinch a nerve causing pain and numbness down the back of the leg.
Whiplash
Whiplash is an injury to the neck caused by the head suddenly moving. It is most commonly associated with traffic accidents or after slips and falls. Symptoms of whiplash include neck pain and stiffness, headaches, and muscle spasms in the neck and shoulders. Symptoms usually get better after two to three months.
Sciatica
Sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve (which starts at your lower back and ends at your feet) becomes compressed or irritated. It usually lasts about four to six weeks and symptoms include stabbing or shooting pains, tingling, numbness and weakness. If the pain does not improve after a few weeks, it is important to see a doctor for treatment.
When to See a Doctor About Back Pain
Some back injuries are obvious, for example, if someone is injured in a car accident, their injuries should immediately be assessed and treated at the hospital. However, in other cases where there hasn’t been an obvious injury, it can be harder to tell.
We all experience back pain at some point or another, particularly as we grow older, so what’s the difference between a bit of muscle strain and spinal cord injury symptoms? For example, cauda equina syndrome symptoms can come on very fast but are often mistaken for normal back pain… until it’s too late to do anything about it.
Because the consequences of an injury can be so serious, you should always play it safe when it comes to back pain. Visit your doctor for a checkup if:
- The pain stops you from going about your daily activities
- The pain does not get better after a few weeks
- The pain is extreme or getting worse over time
- You’re worried about the pain or finding it hard to cope
You should seek immediate emergency advice if you experience:
- Numbness or tingling in your buttocks or around your genitals
- Difficulty going to the toilet or incontinence
- Chest pain
- Swelling around your back
- Lumps or deformities around your back
- Pain that stops you from sleeping
- Pain that gets worse when sneezing or coughing
- Pain even when lying down or resting
- Weight loss
- A high temperature
- Pain that originates from the top of your back between your shoulders
You should also seek emergency advice if you have been in a serious accident, such as a car accident.
Know your Back Pain – Never Ignore Your Instincts
In this article, we’ve covered some serious types of spinal injury, the impact they can have on a person’s life and the help available for affected individuals.
Ultimately, if you are experiencing back pain and it is impacting your life or you feel like something is not right, trust your instincts and see your doctor. Preventing a spinal cord injury is much more effective than treating one.
We hope this article as given you some insight into the different types of injury to the spine. Hopefully, now, you can recognise when something is wrong, and head to the doctor to avoid further damage.
