What are the Treatments for Spinal Cord Injury?
Spinal cord injury is very common around the world, but what are the treatments for it? First of all, we should have a general understanding of this disease. The spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that runs from the brain to the middle of the back. It sends signals to and from the brain and the other parts of the body. It is a soft tissue surrounded and protected by the vertebrae in the spine. Once the soft tissue in the spinal cord is damaged, spinal cord injury occurs. It can happen to any part of the spine, including to the vertebrae, ligaments or disks, or the spinal cord itself.
Treatments for spinal cord injury begin with the emergency medical personnel who make an initial evaluation and immobilize the patient for transport. Immediate medical care within the first 8 hours following injury is critical to the patient’s recovery. Incorrect techniques used at this stage could worsen the injuries considerably. To some degree the treatment for spinal cord injury at the early stage is very important.
However, the treatments are also significant for people with spinal cord injury in the later stage. In fact, there is no cure for it now. Doctors only can improve the symptoms and help raise the life quality. Treatments for spinal cord injury include medications, immobilization, and surgery.
Once a patient is diagnosed with a spinal cord injury, they may receive medications, such as Methylprednisolone (Medrol), which can cause mild improvement in some patients, if taken within eight hours of injury. It seems to work by reducing damage to nerve cells and decreasing inflammation near the location of injury. Doctors may use traction (often by attaching metal braces and weights to the skull to prevent it moving) to stabilize the spine or realign it.
Surgery is an important treatment for spinal cord injury. Surgery is necessary to remove fragments of bones, foreign objects, herniated disks or fractured vertebrae that appear to be compressing the spine. Surgery may also be needed to stabilize the spine to prevent future pain or deformity. Nowadays stem cell therapy, minimally invasive surgery, has been used in treating spinal cord injury. It can not only improve the motor movement, but also works well about the bowel and bladder problems. It is a treatment for spinal cord injury worthy to try.
- See more at: http://www.stemcellstcm.com/stem-cell-treatment
Treatments for spinal cord injury begin with the emergency medical personnel who make an initial evaluation and immobilize the patient for transport. Immediate medical care within the first 8 hours following injury is critical to the patient’s recovery. Incorrect techniques used at this stage could worsen the injuries considerably. To some degree the treatment for spinal cord injury at the early stage is very important.
However, the treatments are also significant for people with spinal cord injury in the later stage. In fact, there is no cure for it now. Doctors only can improve the symptoms and help raise the life quality. Treatments for spinal cord injury include medications, immobilization, and surgery.
Once a patient is diagnosed with a spinal cord injury, they may receive medications, such as Methylprednisolone (Medrol), which can cause mild improvement in some patients, if taken within eight hours of injury. It seems to work by reducing damage to nerve cells and decreasing inflammation near the location of injury. Doctors may use traction (often by attaching metal braces and weights to the skull to prevent it moving) to stabilize the spine or realign it.
Surgery is an important treatment for spinal cord injury. Surgery is necessary to remove fragments of bones, foreign objects, herniated disks or fractured vertebrae that appear to be compressing the spine. Surgery may also be needed to stabilize the spine to prevent future pain or deformity. Nowadays stem cell therapy, minimally invasive surgery, has been used in treating spinal cord injury. It can not only improve the motor movement, but also works well about the bowel and bladder problems. It is a treatment for spinal cord injury worthy to try.
- See more at: http://www.stemcellstcm.com/stem-cell-treatment
