What’s the best treatment of a spinal cord injury?

The thought alone of suffering a spinal cord injury is enough for you to think twice about how you live your life. While there are varying degrees of spinal cord injury, any type can cause pain, suffering and long-term health concerns.

If you suffer a spinal cord injury, such as in a motor vehicle accident, you need to seek immediate medical care. An experienced medical team can order the proper tests, conduct an examination and ensure that you’re receiving the best possible care.

There are many ways to treat a spinal cord injury, such as the following:

• Immobilization. As your injury heals, it may be important for your neck and spine to be immobilized. There are many devices that ensure this happens, such as a rigid neck collar and special bed.
• Surgery. It’s your hope that you don’t require surgery for a spinal cord injury, but this is possible depending on the location and extent of damage. For example, surgery is typically required if there are any bone fragments that require removal. It’s also helpful if a fractured vertebrae or herniated disk is placing pressure on the spine.
• Experimental treatment. Medical professionals and scientists are working hard to find new ways to treat spinal cord injuries, such as by stopping cell death after an accident and promoting nerve regeneration. While there is no guarantee with an experimental treatment, it’s something to consider if offered by your medical team.

Even after you receive initial treatment for a spinal cord injury, you still have an uphill battle. Ongoing care is required if you want to give yourself the best chance of making a full recovery.

For example, physical therapy can help you regain strength and mobility. This may even be necessary to help you learn to walk again.

Your health should always be the first thing on your mind, but you should also take the time to think about your accident when it makes sense to do so.

If you find that someone else caused the accident that resulted in your spinal cord injury, you may be able to hold them responsible. It’s not always easy to do during this difficult time of your life, but you don’t want to hold yourself back from taking steps that can make your life better.