Spinal cord injury or SCI refers to damage or trauma to the spinal cord that results in a loss or impaired function causing reduced mobility or feeling.
Most spinal cord damage is caused by physical injuries: for example, car accidents, a fall, sports injuries, shot or stab wound or disease.The spinal cord does not have to be severed in order for a loss of functioning to occur. In most people with Spinal cord injury, the spinal cord is intact but the cellular damage results in loss of function. Nerves joining above the point of damage should be intact and will continue to operate normally. Nerves below the damage point will continue to conduct messages, but the messages will not through to the brain and messages from the brain will not reach their destination. In general, the higher up spine injury, the more limbs will be paralysed and the greater the disruption to normal bodily functions.