Complications from a Spinal Cord Injury

An injury to any part of the body can lead to multiple problems for the injured accident victim. Not only is he expected to experience severely physical and emotional pain, the injuries may even lead to financial woes. If the affected and injured body part you happens to be the spinal cord, you may have to get help from a Los Angeles spinal cord injury lawyer because of its demanding legal implications.

A spinal cord injury may result to permanent disability or loss of movement and sensation, usually below the site of the injury, because the spine, along with the brain, helps in coordinating bodily movement. Common causes of this injury include:

• Acts of violence, usually due to gunshot or knife wounds
• Alcohol or drug abuse
• Car accidents, and other types of vehicular accidents, which is the leading cause of spinal cord injuries
• Diseases such as cancer, arthritis, and osteoporosis
• Falls
• Impact sports and recreational activities 

Aside from difficulty or eventual loss of movement, there are other complications that may go along with spinal cord injuries.

• Bladder control – There won’t be any direct problem to the kidneys with regard to storing urine. However, the brain may have difficulty in controlling the bladder, which also increases the risk of urinary tract infections, kidney infection, and kidney or bladder stones.

• Bowel control – Similar to the case of bladder control, only the brain won’t have control of the muscles that open and close the anus. Problems in bowel control may cause fecal incontinence.

• Circulatory control – Spinal shock will be experienced immediately after the spinal cord injury. But the injured may also experience low blood pressure and swelling of the extremities. Circulation changes may result to the development of blood clots or a life-threatening rise in blood pressure.
• Impaired skin sensation – Parts below the injured spine will possibly lose sensation, the skin included. Therefore, the skin cannot send a message to the brain if it experiences some injuries like extreme cold or heat. This also makes the skin susceptible to pressure sores.

• Respiratory system – The injured may experience difficulty in breathing and coughing, especially if the abdominal and chest muscles are affected. The neurological level of the injury determines the possible respiratory problem of the injured, for example, cervical and thoracic injury may result to pneumonia. 

Whether the injury is in the spinal cord or not, an Injury Attorney in Los Angeles from Mesriani Law Group can still help in recovering compensation for the injury. Call (310) 826-6300 now to get help.