Signs and symptoms
... The signs and symptoms of a spinal cord injury depend on two factors: The location of the injury. In general, injuries that are higher in the spinal cord produce more paralysis. For example, a spinal ...

Causes
... Together, your spinal cord and your brain make up your central nervous system, which controls most of the functions of your body. Your spinal cord runs approximately 15 to 17 inches from the base of y...

Risk factors
... Although a spinal cord injury is usually the result of an unexpected accident that can happen to anyone, some groups of people have a higher risk of sustaining a spinal cord injury. These include: Men...

When to seek medical advice
... Spinal cord injury isn''t always obvious. Numbness or paralysis may result immediately after a spinal cord injury or gradually as bleeding or swelling occurs in or around the spinal cord. In either ca...

Screening and diagnosis
... Paramedics and emergency workers are trained to treat people who have suffered a traumatic head or neck injury as if they have a spinal cord injury or an unstable spinal column, until a thorough scree...