Injuries to the spinal cord are very serious, and may hold lifelong consequences for the injured. Vehicular accidents can inflict spinal injuries very easily; this is definitely true among severe or high speed collisions. Even if this type of injury seems to heal within a few short years, it is not uncommon for the injured individual to feel the pangs of an injured spine in the later stages of life. If you or someone you know has suffered from an injury to the spine or spinal cord, it is important to become familiar with any resulting symptoms or handicaps; this way, you can help to ease them or knowledgeably seek treatment for them.
Funding Medical Care for Spinal Damage
Since many injuries related to the spine are sustained in accidents or at work, insurance tends to step in to pay for the medical care and damages. If not, you may have to seek medical compensation in order to cover the bill. For many, this usually involves seeking the assistance of lawyers and making personal injury claims. This tends to be a rather long process; however, you will be able to receive the medical care you need in the process. This option is normally left as a last resort and is often one of the only ways to avoid going into serious debt over a severe injury.
Common Signs and Symptoms of Injuries to the Spine
After serious accidents and injuries, paraplegia or quadriplegia can swiftly follow an injury to the spine. These conditions are two different forms of paralysis. The first, paraplegia, involves the loss of use of the lower body. In the worst case scenarios, the latter may ensue. It means the entire body loses the ability to move, making quadriplegia one of the worst possible consequences of a spinal injury.
In less severe spinal injuries, there are several menacing long term health issues that may present more of an inconvenience rather than immobility or loss of quality of life. One of these includes Spasticity. When this occurs, the afflicted individual will experience muscle spasms. They will also experience an exaggeration of normal muscular reflexes, which can be minor or severe at different times. Loss of normal bladder control is common, as well. It can be incredibly embarrassing for victims, especially when they are learning to deal with the condition as it begins to occur. Catheters may even become necessary when bladder control worsens or becomes particularly concerning.
While some consequences of spinal injuries may occur soon after the initial injury, others may not present themselves until much later in life. Osteoporosis is another common ailment associated with spinal injuries, but tends to occur at least a few years after the injury. This makes it one of the long term effects of spinal injury. In addition to this, many of the injured may also experience gradually increasing numbness in extremities. This condition can become very severe, and require surgical attention. It is not directly related to osteoporosis, however.
Article Courtesy of First4Lawyers
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