Spinal Cord Injuries in Oklahoma

Two years ago, Kevin Everett of the Buffalo Bills suffered a life threatening spinal cord injury. During a tackle, Everett ducked his head down and struck the opponents shoulder an helmet; he immediately fell to the turf unconscious. Thanks to great advances in treating spinal cord injuries, Kevin Everett was able to walk and returned to visit the team towards the end of the season. Many people are not so fortunate.

If the brain is the central processing unit of your body, the spinal cord is the network connection that transports signals from your brain to the rest of your body. Damage to the spinal cord causes a break in the communication system, resulting in paralysis. There are two basic classifications of spinal cord injury: complete and incomplete.

Complete injury vs. incomplete spinal cord injury

A complete spinal cord injury means that the spinal cord is completely severed and there is no function below the level of injury. The damage is in a complete spinal cord injury is usually permanent.

An incomplete spinal cord injury will allow some functioning below the level of injury. Incomplete spinal cord injuries may be temporary or permanent depending on the nature of the injury.

In Kevin Everett's case, the doctors originally were unsure whether or not he would even live, let alone walk again. Based on the location of the injury, it was possible that he would have been a quadriplegic, meaning he would not have the use of his arms or legs. In addition to paralysis, many victims of spinal cord injuries suffer from other health problems including:

* Bowel and bladder functions * Sexual function * Breathing problems * Autonomic functions like temperature regulation * Muscle atrophy * Bed sores

Most of these conditions are permanent and require constant care provided by family members or health care practitioners.

Regions of the Spinal Cord

The spine is divided into three sections, the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions. Depending on where the injury is located, physicians can make a good guess as to what sort of functions will be lost.

Cervical injuries usually result in quadriplegia or loss of all four limbs. Depending on which vertebrae is affected, partial movement of the biceps and shoulders is possible, but full flexion, and extension is usually not possible.

Thoracic injuries result in paraplegia, or the loss of the use of the legs. The hands and arms are not affected, and problems with breathing and other autonomic functions do not occur.

Lumbar injuries result in loss of the use of the hips, legs, and sometimes the bladder.

Due to the quick action of the emergency medical staff and the innovative treatment of Kevin's doctors, he is now able to walk again beyond anybody's wildest expectations. While we are all grateful for Kevin's recovery, many people are not so fortunate. Medical costs and rehabilitation costs might be offset if the victim files a personal injury lawsuit.

Access to adequate medical care could be the difference between permanent paralysis and reliance on others to help you with basic needs and making a full recovery. Make sure you do your part and avoid unnecessarily dangerous activities. If you do participate in risky behavior, try to minimize potential hazards by buckling your seatbelt, wearing a helmet, or just practicing good common sense with whatever you are doing.


About the Author

If you live in Oklahoma and have suffered a spinal cord injury due to someone else's negligence, you may be entitled to compensation; please visit the website of Oklahoma spinal cord injury attorneys Stipe, Harper, Laizure, Uselton, Belote, Maxcey & Thetford today.