The spinal cord is an essential part of your body, and any damage can significantly impact your movement and quality of life.
While most people focus on the physical symptoms of a spinal cord injury, such an injury may have some long-term effects. Below are some of the long-term effects of a spinal cord injury
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis, also known as low bone density, occurs when the body loses too many bones. While this condition is highly associated with older persons, it is even more common in people with spinal cord injuries. People who have experienced a spinal cord injury usually develop osteoporosis after some years of the injury.
Paralysis
Paralysis occurs when an individual experiences trouble moving specific parts of their body. There are various types of paralysis that people can experience depending on the severity of the injuries. This includes the following:
- Paraplegia: Paralysis that affects the lower body, making it hard for individuals to move their legs and feet. Victims can also experience difficulty controlling their bladder and bowel functions.
- High tetraplegia: It affects movement from the neck downwards.
- Low tetraplegia: It affects areas below the neck but is less severe than high tetraplegia.
Paralysis can be temporary or permanent.
Infections
Spinal cord injuries can lead to complications like infections. Some common infections resulting from a spinal cord injury are pneumonia, kidney stones and bladder infections.
Muscle spasticity
This is another common long-term effect of a spinal cord injury. Muscle spasticity is characterized by uncontrollable cramps or spasms when the muscles contract. These twitches or spasms can happen sporadically, but muscles get locked for an extended time in other cases.
Spinal cord injuries have various long-term effects and come with considerable costs. Fortunately, you may be entitled to financial compensation if the injury resulted from another person’s negligence. First, however, you may need to seek legal assistance to understand your legal options.
