Avoiding a Deadly Accident
Spinal cord injury is one of the most devastating injuries that can occur because if its potential to leave a person totally disabled.
Every year thousands of people injure themselves jumping into pools head first because they don’t realize the depth of the water is not sufficient to withstand a close impact. The projectile force that a head can be exposed to can literally crush the cervical spine, causing permanent damage to the spinal cord.
The cervical spine begins at the base of the skull and is made up of seven vertebrae and eight pairs of cervical nerves. It protects the spinal cord, supports the skull, and allows head movement. Serious injury to this area typically paralyzes a person, and often injures vital respiratory nerves.
Location often determines the severity of a spinal cord injury. For example, an injury at the neck or cervical spine level may result in paralysis in both the arms and legs, and the use of a respirator to breathe. An injury to the lower spine, may only affect the legs other parts of the body below the injury site.
Spinal cord injuries should always be taken seriously, and if you think someone has suffered one, it’s important you don’t try to move them – keep them still until medical professionals arrive.
Signs of a serious spinal cord injury might include:
- Fading in and out of consciousness
- Extreme back pain or pressure in the neck, head or back
- Weakness, loss of coordination or paralysis in any part of the body
- Numbness, tingling or loss of sensation in the hands, fingers, feet or toes
- Loss of bladder or bowel control
- Difficulty with balance and walking
- Impaired breathing after injury
From a medical perspective, repairing spinal injuries has had limited success. Many times, the damaged nerves cannot be repaired, and patients are left with diminished motor function and sensation. This is why significant research is being done in the field of regenerative medicine. The use of stem cells, right now, seems to be the most promising treatment for the future, but we’re still many years away from fully integrating spinal cord nerves.
This is why prevention is key. When you’re young, you think you’re invincible. But it doesn’t matter what physical activity you choose to do, you always have to acknowledge that your body has limitations. You have to be aware of your surroundings, and whenever possible, think of using protective gear.
Tags: accident, back, cervical spine, disabled, diving, Dr. Manny Alvarez, head, high school student, neck, nerve damage, nerves, pain, paralysis, paralyzed, pool, pressure, respirator, respiratory nerves, safety, sensation, spinal cord, spinal cord injury, spine, stem cells, swimming, symptoms, vertebrae
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DR MANNY<JUST WANTED TO VENT A BOUT MY ADVENTURE AT A GOVERMENT HOSPITAL (V.A.)
I SPENT 5YEARS GOING TO AND FROM UCLA/WESTWOODWOOD V.A. FROM BAKERSFIELD,CA.
I HAD BROKE A TOOTH AND WENT TO HAVE AN IMPLANT ,AS HAD ALL OTHER TEETH.
WELL FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS I WAS "USED" AS A TEST RAT DUE TO MY DISABILTY OF PTSD.
I HAVE NO TEETH NOW AND WAS GIVEN (LOOKING AT MED CHART)ALPRAZOLAM 1MGX4DAY/DIAZEPAM10MGX4DAY/HYDROCODONE5MGX4DAY/IBUPROFEN800MG4XDAY/OXYCODONE5MG4XDAY, THEN ON INFECTION DAYS I WAS GIVEN AMOXICILLIN500MGX4DAY, WHICH WERE MANY,I WOKE UP IN RENO AS BEING A SINGEL PARENT THAT IS WHERE I HAD SENT MY DAUGHTER TO FOR SCHOOL (UNR)I GUESS A FIGHT /FLIGHT PROBLEM IS WHAT I HAD? WELL ANYWAY I HAD A HOME BUILT(FIRST/1998) IN BAKERSFIELD AND HAD GREAT CREDIT/TRUCK PD FOR IN CASH AND A SENSE OF BEING AT EASE AFTER STARTING TO SEE DOCTORS AT THE
NEW V.A. OUTPATIENT CLINIC(BAKERSFIELD)MAKEING ALL APPOINTMENTS AND GETTING REGULAR CK-UPS AND HAVING A HOME A DOG (CHUCK)ALL WAS GOING AS WELL AS COULD BE UNTIL I BROKE A TOOTH AND NOW I THINK I HAVE HAD A MAJOR MIND MELTDOWN ?AS I LOST ALL I HAD AND AM LIVING IN A SINGLE ROOM APT(RENTING) IN RENO.HAVE NOT SEEN ANY DOCTOR IN TEN YEARS ?? WENT TO V.A. IN RENO AND THEY SAID I WAS "FUSTRATED" AND WANTED TO GIVE ME "PROZAC"? TO GO AWAY ????? I HAVE TAKEN MYSELF OFF ALL THE DRUGS I WAS GIVEN 1998-2006 I AM CLEAN NOW BUT WONDER WHAT HAPPEN TO THE LAST 10 YRS OF MY LIFE ?WHAT SAY YOU
DR.MANNY I GUESS I WENT OFF ON A TRNTRUM? AS I AM HEARING EVERONE TALK ABOUT GOVERMENT HEALTH AND WAS THINKING(SOMETHING I TRY NOT TO DO)I HAVE NOT SEEN A DOCTOR IN TEN YEARS AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE MY GRANDCHILD ?BUT HAVING NO DOCTOR IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR AS I AM A SERVICE CONNECTED 100%AGAIN PTSD(VIETNAM)VETERAN AND ALL I HAVE IS THE V.A. HOSPITAL AND I CANNOT GO TO ONE AS I START TO TREMBLE AT THE THOUGHT OF ONE ?DUE TO ALL THE HALF COMPLETE IMPLANTS THEY LEFT IN MY MOUTH AND THE MENTAL TOUTURE I DEALT WITH NOT TO MENTION ALL I HAVE LOST ? WHAT I MISS THE MOST IS MY SMILE I HAD .DOES IT MAKE ANY SENSE THAT I CANNOT GO BACK TO THE V.A. ?YET I AM GOING TO BE 58 ON AUG 24TH (STILL THINK I AM STILL 48??)
I NEED A CK-UP AND A PROSTATE EXAM I GUESS AT MY AGE ?? WELL NEEDLESS TO SAY I LIVE DAY BY DAY AND AM GETTING SOME HELP WITH THE MEDS I GET OFF THE SHELF AT THE 99CENT STORE CALLED “NITE TIME’SLEEP AID AND AM JUST LOST /CONFUSED/ALONE WITH MY THOUGHTS AND I GUESS AM JUST TRYING TO GET SOMEONE TO HEAR ME,HELP ME ?
THANKS FOR READING THIS RICHARD
I have a question about the Acai berry diet and cleanse. Are there any downsides to trying this?
Thank you.
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