What is a Spinal Cord Injury?

Defining a spinal cord injury (SCI) is not quite as easy as it sounds.

There are a few basics that you must understand to get a full understanding of a spinal cord injury (SCI). These include:

• The spinal cord is comprised of a bundle of nerve fibers that are encased in a hollow, bony structure called the spinal column.
• The spinal column is itself composed of stacked bones called vertebrae.
• While the vertebrae are mainly contiguous to each other, there are spaces between them.
• The spaces are mostly filled with soft cartilage discs that prevent the vertebrae from rubbing against each other. In the spaces between the discs are passages through which the nerves of the spinal cord pass.
• The nerves that comprise the spinal cord emanate from the brain (specifically, the brainstem) and terminate in various other parts of the body. Those other areas of the body get electrical and electro-chemical signals through the nerves. The significance of that fact can’t be overstated because the brain controls all anatomical and mental functions of an individual.

A spinal cord injury (SCI) usually begins with a sudden, trauma or multiple traumas to the spine that fractures or dislocates one or more vertebrae. The trauma can be caused by any one of a number of kinds of occurrences such as a motor vehicle accident (MVA) or a work-related accident. Rarely is the spine completely severed, but that can happen. Even when the spinal cord is not severed, any spinal cord injury (SCI) is a catastrophic injury.

What more often happens is that there is a fracture, displacement, or compression of the vertebrae. If there is a fracture, displaced bone fragments, disc material, or ligaments can bruise or tear into the spinal cord tissue. In turn, that material can crush and destroy axons. Axons are extensions of nerve cells that carry signals up and down the spinal cord between the brain and other parts of the body. A spinal cord injury (SCI) can damage few, many, or all axons. The extent and location of the injury dictate the magnitude of the damage, the resulting disability, and the post-acute rehabilitation employed to attain the best possible outcome.

While all spinal cord injuries (SCI’s) are different in their specifics, they can be put into the following broad categories (listed with their broad, representative characteristics):

• Complete spinal cord injury (SCI): loss of all motor and sensory function below the level of injury.
• Incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI): some function and feeling remain below the level of injury. There are different kinds of incomplete spinal cord injury.
• Anterior Cord Syndrome: This refers to an injury to the front section of the spinal cord. It is often evidenced by motor skill and sensory loss (such as to a pinprick) below the level of injury.
• Central cord syndrome: These nerve fibers exchange information between the spinal cord and the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex is vital to personality, interpreting sensation and movement.
• In future blogs, we will discuss the constituent parts of the spine, what each does, how they relate to each other, implications of injury to them, and the innovative spinal cord rehabilitation provided by NeuLife Rehab in Mount Dora, Florida.

When an individual becomes a Client of NeuLife Rehab in Mount Dora, Florida, he or she undergoes an independent functional evaluation administered by a multidisciplinary team of professionals that may consist of:

• Board Certified Neurologist
• Board Certified Behavior Analyst
• Board Certified Physiatrist
• Neuropsychologist
• Psychologist
• Board Certified Psychiatrist
• Speech Language Pathologist/Cognitive Therapist
• Physical Therapist
• Occupational Therapist
• Nurses
• Certified Rehab Counselor

From the results of the independent functional evaluation, the professionals of NeuLife Rehab formulate a Client Goal Plan. The Client Goal Plan guides the clinically relevant services delivered by NeuLife Rehab. The Client Goal Plan guides the cognitive, psychiatric, neurologic, psychological and neuropsychological therapy of the Client. The goal of NeuLife Rehab’s innovative post-acute rehabilitation is the attainment for our Clients of independence to the fullest extent that his or her physical and mental abilities permit.

NeuLife Rehab in Mount Dora, Florida consistently provides the highest standard of care in the delivery of clinically relevant services to achieve successful, sustained outcomes and exceed the expectations of all persons served.

Proper and timely post-acute rehabilitation that may determine the difference between disability and independence is what NeuLife refers to as the “platinum post-acute period” —  the crucial window following acute care that is needed to nurture the whole person to health with specialized, clinically relevant services.

NeuLife, in Mount Dora, Florida, is an accessible residential post-acute program providing specialized rehabilitation to individuals diagnosed with Traumatic Brain Injury
(TBI), Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), Amputations, Burns and other Catastrophic Injuries and Challenging Diagnoses.

2725 Robie Avenue

Mount Dora, Florida 32757