Spinal cord injuries (SCI) are one of the most serious consequences of high speed accidents or sporting activities, a rare but devastating injury which can also occur after infections, tumours or ischaemic damage. The largest risk group are younger people due to their propensity to perform risky activities but a person of any age can suffer from SCI.

The first thing to establish is the level of the injury, a diagnosis that is very important as it indicates the whole path of medical and physiotherapy management. If the spine is fractured low down in the back there should be few, if any, respiratory consequences and the patient will have full power in their arms and chest to achieve independence.

If the spine is unstable, which it often is in spinal trauma resulting in paraplegia, a spinal surgeon will stabilise the spine, usually with instrumentation and bone grafting. This allows the patient to start their rehabilitation without the long wait for the spinal fractures to heal naturally.

Initial physiotherapy management is to monitor the respiratory status, encourage active movement of unaffected areas and perform passive movements of paralysed body parts to retain and improve the ranges of motion which will be required later for independence.

Symptoms

Osteoarthritis symptoms vary from patient to patient. What is interesting about Osteoarthritis is that symptoms do not always progress with time. Patients can have days of no pain or unpleasant days of acute pain due to weather changes. In progressive osteoarthritis, symptoms get magnified and other joints of the body are affected.

Most people have heard of Osteoporosis but how many actually know what it is or how it affects people? It is a disease, also called porous bone, in which bones lose mass and bone tissue starts to deteriorate and become fragile, this makes them more likely to break or fracture.

There are usually no symptoms of osteoporosis in the early stages of the disease. Osteoporosis can silently rob your bones of their strength, and you might be unaware of it until a fracture occurs.

Since your bones are at their peak strength at age 25, bones can begin weakening at an early age. Even if you are a healthy woman in your early thirties, you should be aware of the risks of osteoporosis and the ways to prevent it.

A spinal cord injury can result in the loss of the ability to move or feel. These injuries are either complete or incomplete. A complete injury refers to a spinal injury in which a person loses nerve function and the ability to control movement below the injury.

This typically includes the inability to control one's legs, bowel, and bladder, while still maintaining control over the arms and legs. An incomplete spinal cord injury may not sever all ability to move or feel. Each case is different, but a person may experience feeling below the spinal injury and retain some capacity to move.

It is necessary to seek recovery for a spinal cord injury before the statute of limitations prevents a claim. The statute of limitations refers to the amount of time a plaintiff has to file a lawsuit. Every state has different statutes that govern the time limit for a particular type of claim.

In general, the time limit ranges from one to six years for personal injury claims. The statute of limitations on a personal injury claim begins to run from the moment that the injury occurred. The failure to file a claim within the specified time will bar any future legal action.

Treatments

Information as to when, how, for how long and what have you done so far are more important factors considered by your doctor in evaluating the extent of the back pain. Hence, it can be determined whether the pain is originating from the upper back or middle back or the lower back. Only then, will a treatment or medication be recommended.

Early cervical stenosis can be treated with anti-inflammatory medications and pain medications. If the pain is severe or if there are functional problems (arm weakness, difficulty walking, etc), surgery is usually necessary.

Both minimally invasive and open surgical techniques are used to treat cervical stenosis, and either an anterior (through the front) or posterior (through the back) approach may be needed.

Neurosurgeons and Orthopedic surgeons are the most appropriate doctors for diagnosing back injuries. The Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission views diagnoses and treatment from neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons as more credible than diagnoses and treatment from chiropractors and internists.

Physical therapy strengthens the back and prepares it for increased activity. Usually physical therapists design exercises to simulate work activity if a back injury is preventing a patient from working. In addition to physical therapy, pain medication can also assist patients regain the ability to participate in normal activities.

Early cervical stenosis can be treated with anti-inflammatory medications and pain medications. If the pain is severe or if there are functional problems (arm weakness, difficulty walking, etc), surgery is usually necessary.