Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injuries can be devastating in their effects, with the most serious ending in quadriplegia, the inability to use any of one’s limbs. But a new medical breakthrough is looking to help spinal cord injury victims overcome their paralysis through technology that some are describing as “mind-reading,” according to The Daily Mail.

The technology was created through research at the Northwestern University in Chicago and is called a “neuroprosthesis,” which combined two pieces of technology that allow a paralyzed victim to control their limbs despite their spinal cord damage. The first piece of technology is a multi-electrode array that is implanted into the brain and works as a computer-brain interface and deciphers the signals that generate arm and hand movement. The other piece is known as a functional electrical stimulation (FES) device, which delivers an electrical current to paralyzed muscles and causes them to contract in a desired manner.

By combining the two elements, a paralysis victim is able to bypass their injuries and intentionally stimulate movement in the limb. Research was done by observing muscle activity in healthy monkeys, then temporarily blocking nerve activity in the subjects via local anesthetic and using the neuroprosthesis.

Both monkeys in the study regained movement and gripping strength that allowed them to pick up and move a ball in a nearly normal manner.

Researchers hope that the technology will continue to be studied and advanced for use one day in paralyzed humans to overcome spinal cord injuries.

At Van Der Walde & Associates, we understand the devastating effects of a spinal cord injury and the need of victims for proper and continued medical care and rehabilitation. Our San Mateo spinal cord injury lawyers have the skills and experience needed to help you find compensation for your injuries from those responsible for the accident that caused them. For a consultation on your possible case from our legal team, call us today at (650) 273-4201.

In the human body, the spinal cord plays a vital role in the functions of body parts and their interactions with the brain.

The spinal cord relays messages and commands between the brain and the rest of the body within an instant, allowing a person to not only control his or her movement, but react without even thinking in many cases. Because of its vital role in the functioning of the body, spinal cord damage causes severe problems when it occurs.

There are two important factors in spinal cord damage: the location of the trauma and whether it is considered complete or incomplete.

Anything located below the area of spinal cord damage will be affected, with damage higher in the spinal cord affecting a greater amount of the body; however, the degree of damage dictates how much body function will be disrupted by the injury.

Incomplete Spinal Cord Damage

An incomplete spinal cord injury can cause varying degrees of loss of function in the areas related to the position of the injury to the spinal cord. Often, incomplete injuries can cause pain, numbness, and loss of sensation in the affected body part or parts. Such injuries can also interfere with motor control and uncontrollable, weak, and/or unresponsive muscles. Depending on the location of an injury, a victim can also have breathing difficulties, loss of bowel and bladder control, and various other changes in the body. Incomplete spinal cord damage is possible to recover from, but can take years of rehabilitation and leave life-long effects on a victim’s bodily functions.

Complete Spinal Cord Damage

When a victim suffers a complete spinal cord injury, he or she loses all function below the injured area. Victims are almost always unable to recover at all from a complete injury, with functions forever lost due to the location and effect of the injury. The higher in the spine that the injury is, the more bodily functions completely lost by a complete injury.

All spinal cord injuries, no matter how severe or how disabling, are serious injuries that permanently alter a person’s life. If you or a loved one has suffered such an injury due to another’s negligence or recklessness, you may be entitled to receive compensation for your losses. The Santa Cruz spinal cord injury attorneys at Van Der Walde & Associates can help you in your search for compensation from the responsible party. For more information, call (877) 862-6288.

According to American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) statistics, around 11,000 Americans are hospitalized for spinal cord injuries (SCI) annually. These injuries are usually caused by external trauma to the spine that fractures, dislocates, or otherwise damages the vertebrae, causing damage to the spinal cord tissue. As a result, the spinal cord is unable to relay messages from the brain to the body’s systems, and vice versa, below the level of injury. This can adversely affect a person’s motor, sensory, and autonomic functions either temporarily, or, depending on the severity of the injury, permanently. SCI is life-altering injury, both for the victim and their family.

Spinal cord injuries are categorized as complete or incomplete. If the spinal cord injury is incomplete, the victim would still retain some functioning below the level of injury. Conversely, if a spinal cord injury victim suffers a complete SCI, they would have lost all functioning below the level of injury. Both incomplete and complete forms of SCI would potentially require years of medical treatment and/or rehabilitation. The main causes of incomplete and complete SCI include:

• Motor vehicle accidents;
• Falls;
• Sports and recreational activities; and
• Assault.

Treatment of San Jose spinal cord injuries has improved in recent years. Improved emergency care, aggressive treatment, and rehabilitation help keep the damage to the nervous system at a minimum and even restore some functions. There is a lower mortality rate among spinal cord injury victims than there were a few years ago, and SCI victims are also provided with emotional and/or psychological support during their recovery. There is more hope of recovery for SCI victims than there has been in the past, but this hope can be very expensive.

Suffering a spinal cord injury in Santa Clara County, even a mild one, can create an undue financial burden for the victim and their family. Because SCI usually requires long-term treatment, medical costs, such as doctor visits, rehabilitative services, surgeries, prescription medication, and home care can quickly grow beyond a victim’s means, even with insurance coverage.

If you or a loved one has sustained a spinal cord injury as the result of the negligence or recklessness of another, the skilled San Jose spinal cord injury lawyers at Van Der Walde & Associates can help you hold at-fault parties accountable for their actions. Call us today to find out how we can help you get the compensation you and deserve at 877-862-6288.