Common Symptoms to Help Detect Spinal Cord Injuries
After a car accident or a sports injury, knowing how to recognize if you or someone else has suffered a spinal cord injury is essential. If you run into someone and suspect that they have this injury, one of the most important things to remember is to avoid moving the person as much as possible. Towels can be placed on either side of the neck and the person should be kept still until help arrives. In some cases, knowing how to detect a spinal cord injury and what to do can allow you or another accident victim to avoid some of the catastrophic consequences of spinal cord injuries.
The symptoms described in this section are the ones to look for immediately after an accident or injury has occurred. If you see or experience any of them, call 911 immediately. Some of the eight most common symptoms of a spinal cord injury that you may experience include:
- Pain or pressure in the head, back, or neck area
- Weakness
- Inability to move any part of your body.
- Numbness or tingling in the extremities
- A loss of control of bowel or bladder function.
- Difficulty walking or keeping balance
- difficulty breathing
- Note: If your neck or back is severely twisted or in an awkward position, this is also a sign that may indicate an injury.
While some cord injuries are obvious, such as paralyzing below the neck or chest, others can cause less severe symptoms. Since there were no obvious signs of trauma, he may have even refrained from seeing a doctor. In these cases, you may not even know right away that you have a spinal cord injury. However, there are symptoms to look for that may indicate that a fall or car accident was more serious than you first thought. A common one is loss of sensation in any part of the body. You may have trouble feeling hot and cold, or you may even lose your sense of touch altogether. Other signs to look for include sharp pain or stinging sensations that have no obvious cause, spasms, unusually increased reflexes, and trouble breathing or coughing. Finally, losing control of bowel or bladder functions or experiencing changes in sexual function could mean that he suffered this injury that he is not yet aware of.
If any of these symptoms occur after an injury, it is important to be checked for a spinal cord injury. Better yet, always see a doctor if you are involved in an accident or collision; it is the best way to know if you have suffered internal injuries.
Seeking expert medical attention should be your first priority if you suspect you may have suffered a spinal cord injury in a car accident or fall. Unfortunately, even with recent medical advances, these types of injuries often result in permanent paralysis or partial loss of function in one or more areas of the body.