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Spinal Cord Injury Questions
Phoenix, Arizona
What is a spinal cord injury?
A Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) can occur when the vertebrae become damaged or dislocates from a sudden or traumatic blow to the spine. If the injury occurs between the C1 and C4 vertebrae, the individual will be generally unable to breathe without assistance and will need a breathing tube. An SCI can range in severity from complete paralysis to minor sensation and movement loss. Phoenix spinal cord injury attorney Jerrold Mayro represents Arizona residents who have suffered an injury such as this through no fault of their own.
What are the symptoms of a spinal cord injury?
According to the Mayo Clinic, spinal cord injuries may include one or more of the following symptoms:
- Neck or back pain
- Vertebral tenderness or deformity
- Numbness and tenderness in the extremities
- Muscle weakness or paralysis
- Loss of bowel or bladder control
- Hypotension (abnormally low blood pressure)
- Bradycardia (60 heart beats per minute or less)
- Difficulty breathing, coughing or clearing secretions from lungs
How many people suffer spinal cord injuries?
Roughly 10,000 to 20,000 Americans suffer a spinal cord injury from a fall, motor vehicle accident, sporting injury or violence. More than half of SCIs occur among young adults aged 16-30, and most of those are male (more than 80 percent). Approximately 200,000 people are living with an SCI every year.
In SCI terms, what is a complete or incomplete injury?
A person that sustains a complete spinal cord injury will have no sensation or muscle control below the level of injury. With an incomplete spinal cord injury, a person will have impaired sensation and only muscle paralysis or muscle weakening, but this varies widely from person to person. Usually the full extent of an incomplete injury is not known for 6 to 8 weeks after the injury.
Does SCI decrease life expectancy?
Life expectancies for those with SCI are increasing; however, they are still somewhat below life-expectancies of those who have never sustained an SCI. Mortality rates for those who’ve had severe spinal cord injuries are significantly higher during the first year after the injury. Renal failure was the initial primary cause of mortality among SCI patients, but that has changed in recent years. Now, pneumonia, pulmonary emboli and septicemia are the primary causes of death for those living with SCI.
Is there a cure for SCI?
After actor Christopher Reeve sustained his spinal cord injury in 1995, public awareness of spinal cord injuries escalated. As a result, SCI research gained prominence. Although science has taken up the challenge to find a cure, no cure has been found.
Have you or a loved one sustained a spinal cord injury due to an accident? If you reside in the Phoenix, Mesa, or Tucson area of Arizona, please schedule a consultation with the Mayro Law Firm, located in Phoenix, Arizona.
Suite 700
Phoenix, Arizona 85016
