Tuesday 22 September 2015

Causes of Spinal Injury Immediate Measures and Treatment

The spinal cord houses the controlling mechanism to your limbs. A serious injury to the spinal cord can cause problems in coordinating your body. Surgery can help in many cases of spinal injury as well will see shortly, but first let’s look at the causes of injury.

Common Causes of Spinal Injury

Any severe force on the spine is enough to injure the nerves contained within. Vehicular accidents that result in whiplash injury, significant blunt force attack on the backbone, falls, and injury in sports can all lead to injury of the spine. In some cases, electrocution and twisting of the upper body can also cause similar damage to the spinal cord.

Immediate Measures after Injury

Immediately after a suspected spinal injury, the patient should be kept in a position without moving the torso much. Even removing helmets or repositioning a suspected spinal injury patient is not advised. Wait for trained medical attendants to arrive or seek a doctors advised on how to handle the case. It is imperative that the patient is not moved at all unless very necessary.

Tests and Treatment
A person who has been in an accident that led to the injury will most likely be unable to reach a hospital without help. In that case, an attendant should book for an emergency medical assistance or call local emergency services.

In the emergency room, doctors will be able to ascertain if spinal injury has happened or not. Tests like CT (Computerized Tomography) Scan and MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) are done to rule out or confirm injury. Depending on the injury, surgery may be necessary to remove herniated discs or foreign objects to decompress the spine. After surgery, medication and rehab may also be necessary.

It is however, important to remember that treatment for spinal injury begins at the accident site. Every step that is taken on site through surgery contributes to how quickly the patient will recuperate. To know more about Spine surgery treatment cost in India get in touch with a specialist hospital with a good track record.