Classification and Treatment of Spinal Cord Injuries by:Mark Dacanay
Spinal cord injury cases are one of the most common lawsuits that arise as a result of accidents in Los Angeles
. It can be caused by a number of accidents like a car accident on an LA freeway or a slip and fall accident from work.
It is usually caused by trauma that damages the myelinated fiber tracts or the white matter that carry signals to and from the brain.
The American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) defined an international classification system to illustrate the levels of effect of spinal injuries to the body.
A - A "complete" spinal cord injury where no motor and sensory function is preserved.
B - An "incomplete" spinal cord injury where sensory functions are preserved but the motor functions are not.
C - An "incomplete" spinal cord injury where motor function is preserved below the neurological area and more than half of key muscles have a muscle grade of 3.
D - An "incomplete" spinal cord injury where motor function is preserved below the neurological area and less than half of key muscles have a muscle grade of 3.
E - Spinal injury where motor and sensory functions are all retained.
Diagnosing a spinal injury is usually done by neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons.
Most insurance companies prefer a diagnosis from the above doctors rather than from internists and chiropractors.
Doctors will attempt diagnosing a spinal disorder by administering an objective examination before expensive tests.
The most critical factor in determining an accurate diagnosis is through the patient's description of the injury.
Most spinal injuries may also require an MRI or a CT scan as normal x-ray may not show the full extent of the injury.
The two most common treatments of spinal cord injuries are through physical therapy and through surgery.
Physical Therapy
As much as possible doctors and patients alike would like to avoid surgeries.
If surgery is not necessary, a spinal cord injury can be treated through a series of physical therapy sessions that is aimed to strengthen the back and prepare it for increased activity.
Usually, physical therapy exercises are designed to stimulate work activity to prepare the patient in going back to his normal activities.
To handle the pain that comes with the injury, pain medications are also given to the patient.
Surgery
There are three basic types of surgery performed on spinal injuries, they are:
Fusion - Process where the doctors permanently connect two or more spinal vertebrae through a piece of bone that can come from the patient or a bone bank.
Laminotomy or Laminectomy- This involves the removal of the Lamia or the back part of the bone over the spinal canal. Laminectomy involves complete removal of the lamia while Laminotomy only involves partial removal only.
Diskectomy - This involves removing a portion of the spinal disc to relieve pressure.
Spinal cord injuries are very expensive and can cause a lot of grief and pain not only to the victim, but also to the family.
If the spinal cord injury was caused by a negligent act by another person, the victim should consult with a lawyer who can help them pursue a personal injury claim.
Los Angeles has an abundance of personal injury lawyers who specializes on spinal cord injuries.