4 sections of the spinal cord

On Behalf of | Sep 20, 2019 | Personal Injury

One element of a spinal cord injury that has a big impact on your healing is the location of the injury. Effects from the damage always occur below the level of the injury, which means that more impacts are usually felt when they are higher on the spine.

There are four sections of the spinal cord. Knowing what each section does can help you to understand how your life might change because it can let you know what parts of your body will suffer effects.

The very bottom of the spine is the sacral region. It has five segments, and it controls the signals to the toes, groin and some parts of the legs.

The lumbar section, which has five segments, is just above the sacral region. It controls your legs and hips.

Above the lumbar section is the thoracic area, which encompasses T1 through T12. The upper portion of it controls trunk movement and the upper torso. The bottom portion deals with abdominal muscle and trunk control.

The top of the spine is the cervical spinal region. It has eight segments. If you have a C3 or above injury, you will likely need a ventilator. Anything above C4 can lead to loss of movement from the shoulder down. Injuries below that will impact various parts of the arm, as well as the lower body.

Because of the serious nature of this injury, you will need medical care for the rest of your life. This can be very costly, so you might opt to seek compensation for the financial and other damages. This requires you to file a claim in civil court against the liable party.