(What are the challenges one might face with a serious injury to their spinal cord?

1. First to understand what the difference between a serious injury to the

spinal cord compared to minor. I think that all injuries to your spinal cord are
serious but some more then others. The higher up the Vertebrae you injure the
worse the injury will be. The worse spot to get injured is called high-cervical
nerves between sections c1 and c4. Usually between this section it is most
common to have Paralysis in arms, hands, trunk and legs.Somebody will have to
assist you at all times. Next section is the low-Cervical Nerves and it's between
vertebrae c5 and c8. The most common disability for this section can differ from
total paralysis to just lower paralysis. The mid section or the Thoracic vertebrae
(T1 to T12) .Most people who have injured this section have normal upper body
movements but paralyzed from their hips down. They still have little to no
voluntary bowel movements,and may be able stand in a frame or use braces.
The Lumbar Nerves (L1 L5) this section people usually lose function in their
hips or legs. Depending on the strength of their legs they could walk with braces.
The last section Sacral Nerves (S1 S5) Injury to this section people can
generally walk by themselves and go to the bathroom with special equipment.
2. Living with a spinal cord injury (SCI) can very be hard emotionally and
physically, some problems they have is grieving, Chronic pain, Strength and
flexibility, Nutrition, Mobility, and Adapting to your home life. The reason grieving
is a problem is because letting your emotions affect your cause unhealthy
decisions and could make you depressed this could possibly set back your
rehab. depressed. I would say the hardest part of living with a spinal cord injury is
the mobility and adapting to your home life, the reason this is because it's a lot of
harder to get somewhere in wheelchair or crutches then it is to walk, also life at
home because you're in a wheelchair or using crutches and you will not be used
to getting around maybe your door isn't wide enough or you have stairs how you
going to get down them consistently?...
3. Spinal cord injuries can have many causes but is a result from damage to
the vertebrae, ligaments, or disks of the spinal column or to the spinal cord itself.
Injuries such as a gun shot or getting stabbed, the damage has to cut the spinal
cord to cause serious injury.Even if it does not penetrate the cord, closer it gets
to the spinal cord the worse it gets because it will cause inflammation and
swelling which could cause damage as well. Whether the cause is traumatic or
nontraumatic, the damage affects the nerve fibers passing through the injured
area and may impair part or all of your corresponding muscles and nerves below

the injury site. 35 % of people get spinal cord injuries from car accidents, 25%
from falling(mostly from seniors),15% is caused by acts of violence, and 9% is
caused by athletics.
4. There are lots of complications when dealing with a Spinal cord injury.
When you first injure your spine it might be overwhelming but with rehabilitation
you can overcome problems and develop strategies to make life as normal as
possible. One complication is your bladder, even though it works normally your
brain might not be able to send and receive messages from your kidneys
meaning you wont be able to empty your bladder. This could cause infections to
your kidneys or bladder stones. This is the same problem for your bowels it is
best to stay on a high fiber diet and use techniques from rehabilitation. A Huge
obstacle for people that got paralyzed is from the spot where they got injured
from down they have little to no nerve sensation. This means that if they get hurt
or if there legs are too hot or cold they can't sense it. Having a spinal cord injury
could might cause circulatory problems because when you rise it could cause low
blood pressure. Respiratory system will be affected it might be hard to breath or
cough, your abdominal muscles will be affected the farther down the injury the
more fatal it will be. The physical health of the person will also be at risk they
won't be using their legs, they could experience two different types of muscle
tone problems; uncontrolled tightening or motion in the muscles (spasticity) or
soft and limp muscles lacking muscle tone (flaccidity). It's common for people
with these injuries to become fat from lacking exercise, also Limited mobility may
lead to a more sedentary lifestyle, placing you at risk of obesity, cardiovascular
disease and diabetes. People that have spinal injuries will struggle with Sexuality,
it might be hard for men to get a erection and women to get lubricated. All the
changes spinal cord injury brings and living with pain causes some people to
experience depression.
5. After getting you go through rehab and living your life there is many things
people can do. Some of them can drive or do lots of stuff independently. A big
thing people do is play sports, they can do all most all sports people that use
their legs can do,some examples are basketball, tennis,and even golf. People in
wheelchairs even have their olympic games. They can do everything people that
use their legs do.