antly lost.(The American Medical Association family medical guide-Random House, Inc. New York, 1987) Paralysis is caused by injury or diease to the spinal cord and the degree of paralysis depends upon level of injury. An injury to the spinal cord can result in partial or total paralysis of two or four extremities, as well as loss of sensation. Many persons with a spinal cord injury still feel some sensation in the paralyzed parts of their body, or have some control of muscles below the level of injury. This will often occur in the case of an incomplete injury where the spinal cord has been mashed or partially damaged from swelling and bruising. Paraplegia is the paralysis of the lower extrmities and part of or all of the trunk muscles. Usually there is a loss of sensation in paralyzed limbs and other effects such as muscle spasms, pain and loss of bladder and bowel control. Paraplegia occurs when there is and impairment at or below the T1 throacic level. Quadriplegia occurs when there is damage to the spinal cord in the Cervical region. This will cause impairment to the hands and arms in addition to the effects of paraplegia.(Spinal Injurieshttp://rehab.edu.ucalgary.ca/courses/ assignments/ edps475/p62029/index html) Tetraplegia results from a broken neck, it also affects the arms and hands. Fractures or compression of the vertebrae which cause permanent damage to the cord may lead to loss of sensation, movement, bladder and bowel control, as well as affecting sexual function.(What Is Spinal Injury-http://www.neurosurgery .org.8089/pubpages/patres/faq spine.html)It is impearative that a spinal injury victim is treated within the first eight hours after the injury. Methylprednisolone is a steroid, and has become standard treatment for acute spinal cord injury since 1990; when a large-scale clinical trial showed significantly better recovery in patients who began treatmen...
