A spinal injury is always a serious medical situation. If you suffer such an injury, it can be scary. You may not know what happens next or if you will recover fully. According to MedicineNet, not every spinal cord injury will be permanent. There are several factors about your care and your injury that can determine if you recover and how much you can recover.
It is important to understand that there is no cure for a spinal cord injury. Once you have an injury, it will either heal or remain for the rest of your life, but many injuries allow for at least partial recovery. It really lies in the medical care you receive as to how well you do moving forward after your injury. There are four keys to recovering as much as possible:
Immediate care
The top way to help ensure you have the most favorable chances of recovery from your injury is to get care as fast as possible. What happens in the minutes and hours following your injury can have a great impact on your body’s ability to heal.
Immobilization
Immobilization early is important to minimize and limit the amount of additional damage you may have to your spinal cord. Any additional damage or irritation can slow healing and even lead to complications that could prevent healing.
Inflammation reduction
The main issue in a spinal cord injury at the very beginning is swelling. Inflammation around the spinal cord can lead to further damage. Getting the swelling down is essential to begin the healing process. Medical professionals typically use steroids to help reduce inflammation.
Rehabilitation
Once your body has healed enough that further damage is no longer a risk, you need to undergo physical therapy and other rehabilitation. Starting to move your body and recover function will happen when you work hard with professionals who understand your injury.