A traumatic, acute spinal cord injury is associated with an incident that causes injury to the spine causing it to be fractured, dislocated, crushed, or compressed, such as in a car accident, gunshot, or knife wound.
Anyone who has experienced injury to the head or neck should be immediately assumed to have a spinal cord injury because:
Similarly, non-traumatic spinal cord injury may also occur, caused by a debilitating, spinal cord disease like arthritis, cancer, inflammatory disorders like ankylosing spondylolisthesis, infections, or slipped disc.
Not all spinal cord injuries are associated with any signs and symptoms. However, if apparent, signs and symptoms that are red flags that warrant emergency care include the following:
Moreover, despite continuous recovery, spinal cord injury patients should still watch out for signs and symptoms of long-term complications associated with a spinal injury. You should immediately consider going to your doctor when you observe the following signs and symptoms:
At the emergency room, assessments of a patient who has experienced a car accident, gunshot, or knife wound may be assessed for their neurological functions and rated based on their level of eye opening response, verbal response, and motor response per the Glasgow Coma Scale.
If the patient with injury experiences neck pain, unconscious or can’t be conversed with properly, or manifest other signs of neurological injury like weakness, diagnostic tests such as the following may be warranted to determine the extent of spinal cord injury:
At Gramercy Pain Center, our medical group of spinal cord injury specialists headed by Ajay Varma, MD, DABA, DABAPM is here to help you with an effective spinal cord injury rehabilitation.
We offer the best spinal cord treatment procedures guaranteed to bring you back into good shape after your spinal injury. We offer good rehabilitation programs and may prescribe you with medications that may help you manage the signs and symptoms of spinal cord injury.
Our rehabilitation doctor guides the physical therapy sessions with a team that may compose of a physical therapist, occupational therapist, and other experts in the field of spinal cord injury rehabilitation.
This team of experts will guide you towards a life where you can return to your normal activities if possible.
Medications that may help manage the complications associated with spinal cord injury may be prescribed. These medications include those that can control pain and muscle spasticity, against incontinence, and return to good sexual health and functioning.
A: Spinal cord injury is also associated with other risk factors aside from accidents and underlying diseases. These include the following:
A: Spinal cord injury recovery is facilitated by long-term care by a team of healthcare professionals.
Physical therapy is an important aspect of recovery to prevent worsening of symptoms like progressing into muscle wasting and permanent immobility. Occupational therapy is also helpful for you to regain new skills that may help you cope with your physical limitations.
Continuous monitoring through assessments and medical evaluations should be carried out to observe if you’re progressing towards the better with your spinal cord injury treatment program.
Psychiatrists and psychologists may also be on board to help you with your condition as anxiety or depression may also accompany your spinal cord injury. Psychiatrists may prescribe antidepressants complemented with talk therapy from psychologists.
A: Spinal cord research offers hope for patients with spinal cord injury as experts find ways to help these patients be more independent and mobile. Patients may use the following devices to help them maintain an active lifestyle despite their physical limitations:
Despite spinal cord injuries currently being incurable, you don’t have to live a life within the shackles of your injury. At Gramercy Pain Center, our spinal cord specialty program that includes spinal cord injury stimulation is guaranteed to help our patient live with utmost comfort especially after a spinal cord injury. Start your journey towards healing and getting your life back by getting the best spinal cord injury treatment program that suits your needs. Contact us today or visit one of our branches to learn more about our services.
Dr. Varma is a tough cookie, very stern but listens to me and cares about my well being.
Dr. Varma is a great caring person and doctor.
Great doctor, very attentive.
Wonderful experience with Dr. V!
Dr. Varma was extremely attentive and informative regarding my condition.
