Symptoms

Symptoms of an Acute Spinal Cord Injury

Symptoms of an acute spinal cord injury (SCI) depend on the severity and location of the injury. Usually, symptoms are more severe the higher up on the spine the SCI is.

An injury to the cervical spine (neck) may cause paralysis of the respiratory muscles and impact the ability to breathe. Injuries to the cervical or high-thoracic (upper chest-level) spinal cord may result in blood pressure problems, abnormal sweating and trouble maintaining normal body temperature. A lower injury, in the lumbar vertebrae (lower back), may affect only nerve and muscle control to the bladder, bowel and legs. Bowel and bladder issues may include constipation, incontinence and bladder spasms.

Cervical spine (neck) injuries

When spinal cord injuries occur near the neck, a patient can experience breathing difficulties, loss of bowel and bladder control and these symptoms that can affect both the arms and the legs:

• Numbness
• Sensory changes
• Spasticity (overstimulated muscle tissue)
• Pain
• Weakness, paralysis

Thoracic spine (chest-level) injuries

When spinal injuries occur at chest level, the patient can experience breathing difficulties, loss of bowel and bladder control and these symptoms affecting the legs:

• Numbness
• Sensory changes
• Spasticity (overstimulated muscle tissue)
• Pain
• Weakness, paralysis

Lumbar sacral spine (lower back) injuries

When spinal injuries occur at the lower back level, a patient can experience loss of bowel and bladder control and varying degrees of symptoms affecting the legs:

• Numbness
• Pain
• Sensory changes
• Spasticity (overstimulated muscle tissue)
• Weakness and paralysis