Living with an Injury to the Spinal Cord

What is a Spinal Injury?

A spinal cord injury sometimes referred to as SCI, is when there is damage to the spinal cord, resulting in a loss of function, including movement and/or feeling. Some of the most common causes of spinal cord injury are from diseases such as spinal bifida, polio, Friedreich’s ataxia and more. Other causes include sports injuries or accidents. The spinal cord consists of a collection of nerves that travel from the bottom of the brain all the way down a person’s back. With 31 pairs of nerves going to a person’s arms, legs, chest, and abdomen, these nerves communicate with the brain, which gives commands to muscles, resulting in movement of the arms and legs. Learn more about an injury to spinal cord.

Levels of Spinal Cord Injury

There are two different types of spinal cord injury. A spinal cord injury complete means that there is no sensation or movement below the level of the injury on both sides of the body. A spinal cord injury complete can occur within any level of the spinal cord. An incomplete spinal cord injury indicates that there is function, movement, and feeling in parts of the body, and sometimes function is more prevalent on one side of the body than the other. An incomplete spinal cord injury can also occur at any level of the spinal cord. There are nine levels of spinal cord injury. A C2-C3 injury is usually fatal, as the affected individual lacks the ability to breathe. A patient with this level of injury is totally dependent for any care. At the other end of the spectrum, a person living with an L1-L5 injury is categorized as paraplegic, and they typically have varying degrees of muscle movement in the legs. They may be able to walk a short distance using braces or other assistive technology.

Patients living with spinal cord injuries may require ongoing medical treatment and physical therapy, and there are specific codes required to indicate a diagnosis for reimbursement through insurance. Learn more about spinal injury ICD-10 codes.

Motorized Wheelchairs for Injury to the Spinal Cord

In addition to ongoing medical care and physical therapy, individuals living with a spinal cord injury may benefit from motorized wheelchairs. Quantum® offers solutions to help SCI patients live a more independent life. The Edge 3 Motorized Wheelchair is available with optional iLevel® Power Adjustable Seat Height. This means that the seat on the motorized wheelchair elevates up to 12 inches while driving at 4.5 mph. iLevel has Extra Stability Technology®, which enhances consumer safety for cooking, reaching, transferring, grooming and other Mobility Related Activities of Daily Living (MRADLs). With iLevel, individuals living with a spinal cord injury can be at eye level with their family and friends, reach items in shelves and cabinets, and safely cross streets and parking lots, as they are more visible to oncoming cars. If you experience neck pain from having to look up at people from a standard wheelchair or have issues seeing where you are going in crowds, you may benefit from iLevel technology. Discover more about the benefits of iLevel Motorized Wheelchairs.