4 Types of Spinal Injuries and How They Affect Your Brain

Posted on 20th January 2022

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If your brain is the control room of your body, then your spine is the main communications pipeline that ensures the orders issued up to get distributed to the extremities.

As you might expect, injuries to your spine can have a raft of side-effects and associated issues. In turn, understanding the impact to your brain after suffering a spinal injury is a way of coping with the fallout.

To bring you up to speed, here is a look at the most common spinal injuries and what they usually entail for your brain and the rest of your body as a result.

Cervical spinal cord injuries

In terms of severity, this is inarguably the highest on the list, since it will lead to disruption to the functions of everything below the shoulders, in addition to your neck and of course your head.
Cervical spinal cord injuries can lead to partial or total paralysis of your limbs and lower body, up to and including the issue of being incapable of breathing without the assistance of apparatus, and of losing control of normal functions.

In essence, your brain could become entirely incapable of orchestrating your body as it would prior to the injury.

That is not to say that intervention and rehabilitation is impossible. Specialists like those at IGEA Brain, Spin & Orthopedics in Paramus, NJ have the skills, expertise and facilities to assist patients in even the most severe conditions.

Thoracic spinal cord injuries

Moving further down the body, we come to the spine that sits within the upper portion of your torso, and is predominantly responsible for sending signals to the muscles in your chest, abdomen and back.

Depending on which nerves are damaged, patients could struggle with breathing, or with maintaining their balance. However, the good news is that in many cases the movement of your arms and hands will be unimpeded.

Bowel and bladder control can also be hampered by injuries to this area of the spine. Wheelchair use is also often a necessity, although things like driving a car and even walking with assistance are an option, as your brain will retain access to the nerves controlling the limbs and resources needed for these activities.

Lumbar spinal cord injuries

Lots of people will be familiar with their lumbar, or lower back, because of the support that all sorts of seating is designed to offer for this sensitive area.
Injuries to your spine in this region will likely leave you struggling to walk, since both your hips and your legs are managed by your brain via the nerves contained within it.
As with all spinal injuries, the severity of the damage done to your lumbar will hold sway over the procedures needed for recovery and support, as well as the length of time it takes to return to a semblance of normality. Rehabilitation leading to total independence is usual in this case.

Sacral spinal cord injuries

Sitting at the base of your spine, the nerves in this region are in charge of things like your hips and thighs, as well as the organs in and around your pelvis and also your buttocks.
Sitting at the least severe end of the spectrum, sacral spinal cord injuries should allow sufferers to make a decent recovery, with walking and other movements eventually being completely uninhibited.

There is also the factor of the mental health issues which can arise after a spinal injury, brought about by the life-altering fallout of this dilemma.

Be sure to seek the help and support you need for your body and your mind alike, whether you experience spinal injuries or any other ailment.