Injury of the spine is one of the most common and quite severe injuries.
And it is always dangerous to life and leads to disability, as this is not only a soft tissue injury, but also damage the vertebrae, nerves and spinal cord.
All these reasons can cause not only spinal cord injury of the lumbar of varying severity, but other related injuries – fractures, dislocations, perelomova, and some other types of injuries.
The main reasons
To such damage can be in different situations:
- Drop, as well as violation of the rules during diving.
- Dorozhno-transport incident during which the driver and his passengers experience first jerk forward and then a sharp drop back.
- Blunt force trauma.
- Fall during ice.
- The impact of the blast wave.
The extent of damage
Total, there are three degrees of damage. The first is scrapes and scratches that are on the surface of the skin and internal bruising. The victim feels pain throughout the back. On the injured place quickly formed swelling.
In mild cases can be diagnosed damage to the vertebrae and disks and ligaments and nerve fibers. The spinal cord itself in this case is not affected.
And finally, in the most extreme cases, spinal cord injuries of varying severity, which may result in paresis or paralysis, up to complete failure of the internal organs.
The clinical picture
Spinal cord injury in the lower back – an injury that is often combined with such injuries as sprains, fractures or displacement of vertebrae. The clinical picture will depend on what happened as a result of injury.
If it is spinal shock, there may be a loss of all reflexes, no tone, and atrophy. These symptoms may over time go or stay forever. It can also be complete loss of sensation and ability to move. If the affected loin, he stopped moving his feet. And here also everything will depend on the severity of the injuries. Sometimes even rehabilitation is not able to return man to his former life.
Another common and paralysis or disruption of the pelvic organs, especially bladder and bowel. And finally it can be hemorrhage and the resulting necrosis of the spinal tissue. If this happens, complete recovery of the body will also be a big question.
Conservative treatment
Of great importance in the treatment of such injuries will play correctly rendered or not rendered first aid. It depends on not only the further treatment of the victim, but how quickly will it recover, and eventually recovery.
It is very important immediately after injury immobilize the injured spine. To shift and transport the patient with the same diagnosis as the suspected injury or fracture of the spine should be very carefully and accurately, and it must be done by multiple people.
Because such injuries almost always develop severe spinal shock, emergency physicians must spend antishock therapy, which is the basis for the preservation of human life.
In the treatment of spinal cord injuries in the lumbar used anticoagulants, which help reduce the likelihood of thromboembolism. Must maintain a vasodilator drugs and angioprotectors, which make the vascular wall is not as vulnerable.
If there is a suspected infection, as well as for the treatment of post-traumatic inflammation, widely used antibacterial drugs, but choose they should only doctor after conducting all the necessary surveys.
The first few days even in mild trauma, the patient should stay in bed. Bed rest is also required if the injury moderate or severe severity. In the latter case, you should conduct a number of preventive measures to prevent the appearance on the skin of the patient bedsores.
Rehabilitation after spinal cord injury is no less complex and lengthy process than cure. The rehabilitation process should be supervised by a specialist, who will select an individual program and give all the necessary recommendations. In the future, be sure to visit specialist resorts or sanatoria.
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