People who think about a damaged spinal cord might think about permanent paralysis. They might not realize that there are some spinal cord injuries that might produce scary symptoms at first but heal as time progresses. One of the primary questions you should ask your doctor if you suffer a spinal cord injury is whether it’s considered a complete or an incomplete injury.
Complete and incomplete injuries
A person who has a complete injury won’t have any feeling or ability to move the area of the body below the level of the injury. Someone with an incomplete injury will have some ability to move or feel the area below the injury.
In most cases, patients will have a better chance for recovering some abilities if the injury is incomplete. This is because the nerves in the damaged area of the spinal cord aren’t fully severed. Because there are still some active pathways, it’s possible that they will heal. This can lead to an improvement in your abilities. Because of spinal shock, the impact of the injury might get worse before they get better but as the spinal cord heals, you’ll have some idea of what you may expect.
Spinal cord injuries are costly
The cost of care for spinal cord injuries is considerable. From the initial emergency care to follow-up visits and therapy, patients can spend a lot of money, even if they have insurance. When the accident that caused the injury was because someone else was negligent, they might opt to pursue a claim for compensation. This can help defray the costs that are associated with the injury. It can also help hold that negligent party accountable for their actions.
