T12 Compression Fracture Never Walk Again
A T12 spinal cord injury affects lower body functions such as walking and bowel and bladder functions. Fortunately, individuals with T12 spinal cord injuries generally have normal, full performance of their upper bodies, which allows a neat deal of independence.
To assistance you lot sympathize how a T12 SCI tin can touch on your twenty-four hours-to-day life, this article will include potential functional outcomes and recovery outlook.
Muscles Affected by T12 Spinal Cord Injury
Photograph Credit: Ralf Stephan
The thoracic region of your spinal cord is divided into 12 segments that innervate the muscles in your trunk.
T12 spinal cord injury patients generally take total function in their upper limbs and torso. The T12 nerve roots innervate the very lower intestinal muscles.
Therefore, individuals with T12 SCIs will focus on rehabilitation for the lower one-half of their body.
Your spinal cord relays letters betwixt your brain and trunk. After a spinal cord injury, these messages may non be able to brand a connection past the site of injury.
Therefore, the severity of your spinal string injury will determine how much motor control or sensation you take below your level of injury.
The more than spared neural pathways there are at the site of injury, the more functions volition be preserved.
T12 Spinal Cord Injury Complications
T12 spinal cord injuries volition affect sensation and mobility in the lower half of the body. Below, nosotros'll discuss 5 possible complications that tin occur in individuals with T12 SCIs:
ane. Bladder and Bowel Dysfunction
Inability to command the bowel and bladder muscles or inability to feel when they are full can cause leakage that you cannot feel or be aware of.
Catheterization, bladder augmentation surgery, and medications can help control and better predict bowel and bladder movements.
2. Reduced Bone and Muscle Density
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Depending on the severity of your SCI, paralysis may prevent you from moving as much or ofttimes as you'd similar.
This disuse or lack of use will cause your basic and muscles to compress and weaken, which can increase your risk of injury.
3. Difficulties Standing or Walking
Paralysis (even partial paralysis) can alter your power to balance on two anxiety. Some T12 spinal cord injury patients with less severe injuries may be able to recover walking through gait training.
This can involve the use of walking aides like walkers or special equipment like parallel bars and weight-begetting treadmills.
4. Pressure level Ulcers
Physical inactivity due to paralysis can cause pressure level ulcers.
When yous stay in the aforementioned position for too long, your torso sends signals to the brain communicating that there'southward besides much pressure level beingness placed on that area of the trunk. This is what makes us feel restless and antsy.
However, later on a spinal cord injury, you may not be able to feel these sensations, which makes it easier to forget to modify positions.
Prolonged pressure on the body can cutting off circulation, causing tissues to become inflamed and skin to gradually pause down, with adventure of infection.
Force per unit area ulcers are most common in bony areas like the knees, ankles, hips, and elbows. To prevent them from forming, try to motility around ofttimes and inspect your skin regularly.
5. Spasticity and Hurting
Spasticity is when your muscles involuntarily contract.
Many patients experience spasticity subsequently an SCI considering messages betwixt their encephalon and trunk are not beingness communicated properly.
Continuous muscle contractions can exist painful and interfere with movements.
Yet, spasticity and pain tin can be good signs of recovery. They assistance indicate that neural pathways between your encephalon, spinal cord, and areas below your level of injury still exist.
The more spared neural pathways you have, the greater your potential for recovery.
T12 Spinal Cord Injury Recovery
Rehabilitation after a T12 spinal cord injury primarily consists of physical and occupational therapy. These rehabilitative therapies will appraise your functional abilities and strive towards maximizing your mobility and independence.
In physical therapy, you'll work on improving your mobility through targeted exercises.
The goal of occupational therapy is to regain your independence by practicing activities of daily living like brushing your teeth and getting dressed. This volition develop your fine motor skills and you'll learn new techniques to perform these activities.
Recovery from whatsoever level of spinal cord injury focuses on promoting neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is your central nervous system'southward ability to adapt by rewiring itself.
The more you lot repeat a movement, the more than you stimulate neuroplasticity in spared neural pathways. With plenty practice, your brain, spinal cord, and torso can learn to work in sync over again. Ultimately, you're relearning how to move over again by promoting neural adaptation.
Understanding T12 Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal string injuries require you lot to practice things differently, merely the key is to focus on what you can do.
Individuals with T12 SCIs can however be independent because of normal upper trunk functions.
The less severe your spinal cord injury is, the better your chances of recovery are. With massed practice, spared neural pathways at your injury site can reorganize themselves and help recover functions weakened by SCI.
Incomplete spinal string injury rehabilitation isn't easy, but information technology's possible to improve your mobility with targeted therapy.
Source: https://www.flintrehab.com/t12-spinal-cord-injury/
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