Spinal Cord Injury

A spinal cord injury results when there is damage to the spinal cord that results in loss of motor or sensory function. The spinal cord is part of the central nervous system. It extends from the base of the brain down the midline of the back and ends at the bottom of the spine. The spinal cord is encased by vertebrae to protect it. Vertebrae are the bones that make up the spine. In the middle of your spine is where your spinal cord lies. The spinal cord sends nerves to the body and serves as a communicator between the body and the brain. These peripheral nerves carry impulses that cause muscles to contract, allowing us to function in everyday life. The nerves also carry signals up through the spinal cord to the brain that enable us to experience sensations such as pain, pressure, touch, hot, and cold to name a few. Damage to the spinal cord results in loss of this signal pathway from the brain to the body and vice versa. This impairs our ability to move and experience touch, pain, temperature, proprioception.