Impulses from the brain are what allow us to perceive the world around us˳ Through touch and movement of our bodies, we also carry out essential functions that we aren’t usually aware of or even in control of – including breathing, digesting food and circulating blood˳ While the brain is responsible for producing these impulses, the spinal cord is what actually transports and delivers them to the various parts of the body˳ When this cord is damaged, there are often catastrophic consequences, including paralysis˳
Paralysis involves a complete loss of muscle function, and often involves a loss of mobility and/or sensation˳ Whether total paralysis will occur depends on whether a cord injury is classified as complete or incomplete˳ In an incomplete spinal cord injury, only some of the cord is damaged˳ For instance, the spinal cord’s front, back, side or center may be damaged, while the rest of the cord in that area may be unaffected˳
When incomplete spinal injuries occur, a person may retain function on one side of the body but not the other, or they may have sensation in parts of the body but still experience a loss of mobility˳ This is because some of the impulses from the brain can still be delivered to the appropriate part of the body˳ In a complete spinal cord injury, the entire area of the spine is damaged˳ The person loses all sensation and movement in all areas below the site of the injury˳ These types of complete injuries are the types that usually cause paralysis˳
The portion of the body that becomes paralyzed because of a spine injury depends mainly on which part of the cord was damaged˳
The area from the top of the spine to the neck is the cervical spine˳ The most severe paralysis occurs when there are complete injuries to this area of the spinal cord˳ People with these types of injuries are usually quadriplegic˳ If the injury is close to the beginning of the cord, the person may even be unable to breathe on his or her own˳
The thoracic spine protects the area of the spinal cord that extends from the neck to the chest˳ When this region is damaged, the injury victim is typically considered paraplegic˳ Injuries in the upper area of the thoracic spine result in a loss of mobility in the legs, a loss of control of the abdominal muscles, and limited trunk control˳ Injuries to the lower thoracic spine typically leave the individual with good control over their abdominal muscles and their trunk˳
The vertebrae from the chest to the pelvis are known as the lumbar spine and the sacral spine˳ Spinal cord injuries in these areas result in the least loss of function˳ The person loses some control of the hips and legs, but does not experience a complete loss of mobility in any area˳ The injured individual can often lead a relatively normal life˳
Both incomplete and complete spinal cord injuries can have a profound impact on your overall quality of life, but paralysis is especially devastating since it can result in a loss of independence˳
Source by https://ezinearticles˳com/?Understanding-How-Paralysis-May-Be-Caused-by-Spinal-Cord-Injury&id=3243583
