Spinal cord Injury

Question 1

symptoms of spinal cord injuries

Answer 1

• loss of all forms of sensation
• reduced or inability to feel pain
• loss of ability to move - inability to voluntarily contract muscles (paralysis)/ partial loss of voluntary movement (paresis)
• altered or lost sensation in a dermatome
• decreased or lot muscle power in a myotome

Question 2

Quadriplegia or Tetraplegia

Answer 2

• damage to the cervical with impairment of arm, trunk, lower limb, and pelvic organ function

injury of the cervical cord results in quadriplegia ie. paralysis of the upper and lower limbs - C1- T1

weakness or loss of feeling in potentially or 4 limbs + affects organ functioning as well

Question 3

Paraplegia

Answer 3

damage to cord below cervical level, sparing arm function

injury of the thoracic and lumbar cord ie. paralysis of the lower limbs - below T1

patients with thoracic paraplegia will have full upper limb movement and varying degrees of trunk paralysis and complete lower limb paralysis

Question 4

Peripheral nerve injury

Answer 4

lesions cause altered or lost sensation in a peripheral nerve distribution

decreased or lost muscle power in a peripheral nerve distribution
decreased or lost stretch reflex

Question 5

shock

Answer 5

a temporary loss of all functions below the lesion due

resulting in flaccid paralysis and sensory loss

last about a day but can persist up to month