These injuries may also result in bowel, bladder and sexual function changes.įor more information on the spinal cord, see the Model Systems of Knowledge Translation Center’s factsheet, Understanding SCI Part I: The Body Before & After Injury. In contrast, people with thoracic and lower injuries may experience paraplegia, retaining full use of their arms and hands, but experience some paralysis in the legs. Spinal cord injury that results in some degree of paralysis in all extremities is referred to as tetraplegia (also known as quadriplegia). For example, injuries to the upper cervical (neck) region may result in paralysis (lack of movement) of the arms, hands, legs, feet, and respiratory muscles, as well as impaired bowel, bladder, and sexual function. Reflexes are also impacted.ĭepending on the extent of the injury, the higher the level at which spinal cord damage occurs, the greater the degree of impairment. But below the level of injury, messages from the brain to the body and messages from the body to the brain may become fully or partially blocked due to traumatic injury, degenerative conditions, or disease. The spinal cord is shorter than the spine, and while there are some anatomical differences among individuals, the spinal cord ends roughly near the first lumbar vertebra.Īfter a spinal cord injury, nerves above the level of injury keep working as they did before. There are eight cervical segments, 12 thoracic segments, five lumbar segments, five sacral segments and one coccygeal segment. The spinal nerves extend to various parts of the body, delivering messages from the brain to the body and from the body to the brain. The spinal cord is divided into 31 segments, from which the spinal nerves emerge on each side of the body, between adjacent vertebrae. There are seven cervical (neck region), 12 thoracic (upper and mid back), five lumbar (lower back), five sacral (fused together as part of the pelvis), and 3-5 coccygeal (fused as the “tailbone”) vertebrae. The spine consists of 33 bones, known as vertebrae. The spinal cord runs from the base of the brain through the center of the vertebrae and is protected by the spinal column. The spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that transmits messages between the brain and the rest of the body. This may result in loss of movement, sensation and changes in autonomic functions such as blood pressure and temperature control. However, in spite of current folklore, it is a spectrum of conditions ranging from situations where acid is crucial to conditions where acid may play little part.Spinal cord injury (SCI) refers to any damage to the spinal cord, whether from trauma, disease, or a degenerative disorder. The term, 'acid-related disorders' is used to embrace this wide variety of conditions in which acid may play a part. Acid and pepsin are often held responsible for these symptoms, by both the medical profession and the lay public. Dyspepsia is a very common complaint with many causes. Acid is not the only cause of dyspeptic symptoms. These symptoms are the basis for advising on the most effective management-but as many doctors and patients erroneously attribute dyspepsia solely to acid, it is all too easy for inappropriate treatment to be offered. Careful evaluation of the patient's symptoms is required to establish the basis for the dyspepsia and from that, careful selection can be made for any investigations that might be needed. 'Acid-related disorders' is a term used to describe a whole range of conditions from the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, where acid is entirely responsible for the problems, to aerophagia and motility-type non-ulcer dyspepsia, where acid plays little if any role in the dyspeptic symptoms.
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