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Age plays an important factor in the risk of spinal injury; the
leading cause of serious spinal injury in the under 65 age bracket
is motor vehicle accident, while above 65 the most significant cause
of spinal injury is from trips and falls, with conditions such as
osteoporosis adding further complicating factors.
Any impacts or injury to the head or torso can cause potentially
cause damage to the soft tissue around the spine, its neurological
structures or to the spine itself and frequently spinal injury can
be difficult to diagnose in the short-term, particularly when symptoms
are mild or unnoticeable at the time of the accident.
Unfortunately, undiagnosed and untreated spinal injury can have
serious consequences. Here are some of the potential symptoms of
spinal injury.
1. If you have suffered a spinal injury then you may experience
local numbness or numbness throughout the body. Due to the spine's
role as the carrier of the nervous system, this can be in the arms,
or legs, or face. The severity of the numbness can range from the
sensation of pins and needles to complete lose of sensation.
2. Another common symptom of spinal injury is reflex abnormalities.
As the nerves control the reflexes, any changes in the body's reflexes
may indicate some kind of spinal damage. You may experience twitches
or jolts. You could also find that limbs are reacting slower than
they used too, as the messages from the brain are being held up
somewhere within the nervous system.
3. The spine also plays a key role in the autonomic nervous system,
the structures responsible for controlling many of the body's automatic
functions, including control of blood pressure, pulse rate and breathing,
the immune system and the body temperature. These are very complex
systems and ascertaining a link between changes in these functions
and spinal injury can be very difficult. Impairment in the autonomic
nervous system could reveal itself in difficulty breathing, rapid
pulse rate, or racing heart.
4. Depending on the cause, location and severity of the injury,
parts of the body may experience short-term or long-term paralysis.
With some spinal trauma loss of movement or feeling can be immediate,
whereas some spinal injuries can result in the slow onset of paralysis,
typically beginning with weakness and gradually deteriorating into
paralysis. In the latter case symptoms may not be immediately apparent
in the aftermath of the trauma and can develop days or even weeks
later.
Paralysis can lead to other serious adverse affects on the body.
Depending on the area of the body affected this can include circulatory
and digestive problems, blood clots, infection, incontinence, problems
with balance and even behavioral issues.
Neil Glover Personal
injury lawyers with unrivaled expertise. Specialist services
for spinal
Injury, brain injury, head and amputation clients from the UK's
leading specialised injury law practice. ng@seriouslaw.co.uk,
seriousinjurylaw.co.uk/, 0800 61 66 81
Article Source: EzineArticles.com:
Undiagnosed Spinal Injuries - The Long Term Effects
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