What is a Spinal Cord Injury?
What Is a Spinal Cord Injury?
A spinal cord injury (SCI) occurs when the spinal cord—the thick bundle of nerves running down the center of your back—is damaged, disrupting the transmission of signals between the brain and the rest of the body. This can lead to loss of motor function, sensation, and autonomic regulation (e.g., bladder, bowel, blood pressure control) below the injury level. Injuries are often categorized as complete (total loss of function below the injury) or incomplete (some preserved function).
What Causes Spinal Cord Injuries?
The majority of SCIs result from trauma, including:
Motor vehicle accidents, the leading cause in the U.S.
Falls, especially among older adults
Acts of violence, particularly gunshot wounds
Sports and recreational injuries, including diving accidents
Non-traumatic causes—though less common—include tumors, degenerative diseases, infections, vascular conditions, and spinal cord compression from various etiologies.
What Are the Symptoms?
Symptoms vary depending on the location (e.g., cervical, thoracic, lumbar) and severity of the injury but may include:
Loss of muscle control and strength
Loss of sensation, such as numbness or tingling
Autonomic dysfunction: bladder or bowel incontinence, blood pressure regulation issues, respiratory compromise in high-level injuries
Additional possible effects: spasticity, pain, muscle atrophy, autonomic dysreflexia, pressure sores, depression and other secondary complications over time.
Olivia’s Experience
Olivia’s Spinal Cord Injury was caused by a rare Ischemic Spinal Cord Stroke (vascular). She is a paraplegic and her level and category of injury is T8 Incomplete. This means that the blood clot that caused her stroke injured her spinal cord closest to the 8th Thoracic Vertabra (waist); Incomplete means she has some function—minimal sensation and movement in some places; none in others. Everything from her waist down has been affected.
How Common Is SCI in the U.S.?
Incidence: Approximately 17,900 to 18,000 new cases per year in the United States, translating to about 54 cases per million people annually .
Prevalence: Around 225,000 to 296,000 individuals are living with SCI in the U.S., depending on the study .
Demographics:
Approximately 78–80% of new injuries are male, with the average age at injury around 43 years .
Causes vary by age: falls are more common in older adults, while vehicle accidents and sports are predominant among younger individuals
No Two Spinal Cord Injuries are the Same
Even among individuals who have the same level (e.g., cervical, thoracic) and category (e.g., complete vs. incomplete, or ASIA impairment grade) of spinal cord injury (SCI), their experiences, outcomes, and functional abilities can vary significantly.
There is no cure for Spinal Cord Injuries.