by: The National Center on Physical Activity and Disability
An individual who has sustained a spinal cord injury usually demonstrates some loss of motor function and/or sensation at and below the level of injury. The type and location of injury often dictates the severity. Partial damage to the spinal cord may result in an incomplete injury. A complete injury generally involves severe damage to the spinal cord.
There are 30 segments in the spinal cord: 8 cervical ©, 12 thoracic (T), 5 lumbar (L) and 5 sacral (S). The most vulnerable levels of injury are at the fifth through seventh cervical vertebrae, fourth through seventh thoracic vertebrae and tenth thoracic through the second lumbar vertebrae.
The most common spinal cord injuries are often sustained via a motor vehicle accident, gunshot wound, sport-related accident or fall. Non-traumatic impairments are classified as spinal cord dysfunction. Individuals with involvement of all four extremities are classified as quadriplegics. Paraplegics are those individuals with impairment of both lower extremities.
Read full text of “Spinal Cord Injury and Exercise” on the NCPAD Website HERE