Spinal cord injuries are among the most feared and most severe traumatic injuries possible. Someone who hurts their spinal cord may suffer lasting medical consequences. They will lose both their sense of feeling and their motor function below where they got hurt.
Historically, most spinal cord injuries have had permanent medical consequences. However, advances in modern medicine make partial recovery possible for some people with spinal cord injuries. When might someone recover lost sensation or function despite hurting their spinal cord?
When they have an incomplete injury
Incomplete spinal cord injuries can cause many of the same symptoms as complete spinal cord injuries and will also generate a lifetime of medical expenses. The big difference is that the trauma does not fully cut through the spinal cord as it does in a complete injury.
When the injury doesn’t fully sever the spinal cord, the person who gets hurt could undergo surgery or physical therapy. With proper stabilization, medical intervention and financial support, someone with an incomplete injury can improve both sensation and motor function below the injury site.
Such treatments often require months if not years of commitment and tens of thousands of dollars in personal investment. Recently, specialists have announced breakthrough technology that may offer similar to those with complete spinal cord injuries, but the technology is still in its infancy and will be cost-prohibitive for the foreseeable future.
Understanding the possible consequences of a catastrophic injury involving damage to your spinal cord will make it easier for you to handle insurance claims or make decisions about other methods of securing compensation.