Long-Term Care for Spinal Cord Injuries

Long-Term Care for Spinal Cord Injuries

Long-Term Care for Spinal Cord Injuries

Everyone dreads the idea of experiencing a spinal cord injury, but not everyone realizes how advanced medical care has become in the last few years. Science has discovered that the brain is malleable past the sensitive periods of childhood development and that some parts of the brain may heal, no matter what age you are. Nerve cells are the only cells in the body that do not grow back, but spinal cord injuries do not involve dead neurons as much as neurons that can no longer communicate because they have been severed, so there is some hope.

What Happens After a Spinal Cord Injury?

A spinal cord injury occurs when the spinal cord is cut in such a way that the neurons that make up the spinal cord can no longer transmit messages between the brain and the rest of the body below the neck. After a spinal cord injury, a person may lose sensations, touch, or movement in the areas below the site of the cut.

Long-Term Medical Care

After you are stabilized in the emergency room after a spinal cord inury, doctors will move you to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where you may be given an Intravenous (IV) medicine to keep your fluids Long-Term Care for Spinal Cord Injurieshealthy along with possible pain medications depending on the injury severity. Neck collars are commonly used to keep your neck still so the bones can heal correctly, but there are also special beds now that keep your whole body still.

If there are bone fragments, external objects like pieces of metal from a car crash, or herniated disks, then surgery will be needed to correct these issues that would otherwise worsen your condition. Be sure to ask your doctor about experimental treatments that are currently being developed to prevent further neuron death because this may improve your outcomes.

Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation programs for spinal cord injury victims have grown more advanced and now combine several approaches like physical therapy, skill-building, psychiatry, medicine, and general counseling. There are several different types of psychologists who will provide you with different types of treatment to get you to recovery. First, your communication and limb strength will be worked on, then fine motor skills, toilet training, and other skills for independent living will be taken care of.

With newer technology, there are adaptive devices like electronic wheelchairs, electronic stimulators, assisted gait training, neural prosthesis, computer adaptations, and other devices that can improve your condition.

Personal Injury Claims

Unfortunately, the medical expenses of treatment and rehabilitation can add up fast, especially if the injury also prevents the victim from working. However, if your injury was caused by another person’s negligence like a car wreck or accident, then you may be able to hire a personal injury lawyer to help you obtain compensation.

Hiring a Houston Personal Injury Attorney

If you suffered a spinal cord injury caused by the negligence of someone else, then consider contacting the best Houston personal injury lawyer at DeHoyos & Connolly, PLLC by calling (832)–767–3568 for a free consultation. Medical bills can add up fast, and we are here to help get your life back on track after an unexpected accident.


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