What is a spinal cord injury?
A person with a spinal cord injury has damage to the nerves in the spinal cord. The damage disrupts the normal flow of information between the brain and the body. Common causes of spinal cord injury include sports injuries, falls, and motor vehicle accidents. A person with a cervical cord injury has a spinal cord injury in the neck. Neck fractures are the most common cause of spinal cord injury. About 4,000 to 5,000 people in the US are paralyzed from the neck, down, due to cervical spine injury every year.

What are the symptoms of a spinal cord injury?
The most common symptoms of a spinal cord injury include neck pain or back pain. Additional symptoms may include arm numbness, arm weakness, leg numbness, leg weakness, impotence, or urinary incontinence.

How does the doctor treat a spinal cord injury?
Treatment for a spinal cord injury may include a neck or back brace, intravenous fluids, corticosteroid medication, narcotic pain medication, surgery, and physical therapy.