Next to the brain, the spinal cord is the most important part of the central nervous system, and any injuries to the spine are not only likely to be incredibly painful, but they can result in paralysis, disability, and a long-term impact on a person’s ability to live and work. The neck is an especially vulnerable part of the spine, and it can be injured in a variety of ways. If you have been involved in an incident that has resulted in neck pain, you should understand the potential neck injuries that you may have experienced, the treatments necessary to protect your health and well-being, and the options for pursuing compensation from those who were responsible for your injury.

Common Neck Injuries and Treatments

Neck injuries can vary significantly in severity, ranging from mild discomfort to long-lasting pain and disability. In many cases, neck injuries are caused by whiplash, which occurs when the neck is hyperextended after the head is suddenly thrown backward or forward. Whiplash is often experienced in car accidents, but it may also occur during sports injuries, and the neck can also be injured in a slip and fall or as the result of an assault. Some common types of neck injuries include:

Spinal cord injuries can be devastating, and approximately 17,500 of these types of injuries occur each year, with 38 percent being due to car accidents. The medical costs of spine injuries can put the financial security of victims and their families in jeopardy. In addition, these injuries can have a significant impact on a person’s ability to work and earn an income.

Understanding the Full Impact of Spinal Cord Damage 

Spinal cord injuries can be either incomplete or complete injuries. Incomplete spinal injuries are injuries that do not sever the spinal cord. The severity of an incomplete spinal cord injury depends on the location and extent of the injury, but these injuries tend to not interfere with standard bodily functions. Incomplete spinal injuries typically occur below the neck, and they can result in paraplegia, which will cause a victim to experience paralysis in the lower half of their body. In addition to paralysis of both legs, injured parties can suffer symptoms ranging from difficulties with bladder and bowel movements, significant weight gain, and chronic pain. 

A complete spinal cord injury is an injury that results in permanent damage to the impacted region of the spine. These injuries are typically located above the shoulders in the top seven vertebrae in the neck and result in tetraplegia or near total paralysis. Unlike paraplegia, victims who experience tetraplegia suffer loss of movement in all of their limbs, as well as their torso. Some victims may not suffer complete paralysis but will still lose significant mobility. Unfortunately, tetraplegia often leads to additional health complications, such as osteoporosis and pressure sores. Tetraplegia can also impact a person’s chest muscles, causing them to have difficulty breathing or contract respiratory infections. Respiratory infections are the leading cause of death among Americans living with spinal cord injuries. 

Of all the injuries that one can sustain in an auto accident, those relating to the brain and spine are usually the most devastating. In fact, many victims find themselves disabled or severely limited in their ability to work and earn money for their families after such an injury. Compensation, which may be owed to them, cannot give them back their lives, but a new research project hopes to return at least some functionality back to injured parties. Learn more about this study, and discover how the assistance of a seasoned, competent auto accident lawyer can increase the chances of full and fair compensation after a debilitating accident-related injury.

Researchers Learn How to “Switch On” Potentially Healing Gene

Scientists have long known that certain genes found within the body’s cells can aid in healing the body. What they did not know was how to turn the genes on when an injury occurred. However, a study on mice has allowed them to not only identify which gene to turn on but to also turn over-express it so that it works more effectively. At the current moment, they only know that doing so can reduce the size of a scar. Hypothetically, this could minimize the damage of a spinal or brain injury, but more studies will need to be done in order to determine if their hypothesis is correct. They hope to work with more mice, both shutting off and over-expressing the gene to determine what (if any) added healing benefits the gene offers to spine and brain injury victims.

Waiting for Science While Coping with a Brain or Spine Injury 

The recent study is not the first to examine possible options for brain and spine injury victims. In fact, there are dozens of various surgeries and methods being tested to improve the level of healing that injured parties experience after an accident. Unfortunately, they are all still in preliminary, testing stages, and it could be years before even a single option becomes available to the general population. What this means for today’s victims is that they may live with limitations for the rest of their lives. As such, it is critical that injured parties receive full and fair compensation for their losses. The chances of this happening are much higher when accident victims seek the assistance of a seasoned personal injury attorney. 

Data indicates that there are approximately 17,000 new spinal injury cases per year. Though experienced in varying degrees, these injuries typically result in at least some form of paralysis, which is often permanent. Scientists have been working hard to come up with a solution - some using drugs, others specific therapies, and still others who are using surgical interventions. One recent scientific study, which included the grafting of human stem cells into rhesus monkeys, is showing promise - so much so that the entire scientific community is abuzz. 

Stem Cell Graft Improves Grasping in Monkeys

A team of neuroscientists and surgeons, which were led by University of California San Diego School of Medicine, grafted neural progenitor cells (NPCs) into the spines of rhesus monkeys as a follow-up to former studies with rodents. Though complications did arise - specifically in regard to technique - the scientists and surgeons found workarounds and managed to successfully grow hundreds of thousands of human axons and synapses in the monkeys. As a result, the monkeys experienced an increase in forelimb function, specifically the ability to grasp. Published in an online issue of Nature Medicine, the study findings indicate a significant step in translating positive results in humans with spinal cord injuries. 

Of all the injuries that one can sustain in an accident, spinal injuries are some of the worst – and not just because of the risk of partial, total, temporary, or permanent disability. While there are some forms of treatment that may slightly improve a victim’s circumstance, there are no known ways to reverse the damage. Science has been working tirelessly on finding answers, however, and one group is now a full year into an experimental treatment with promising results.

Four Out of Six Patients Show Shocking Improvement

One year ago, Asterias Biotherapeutics injected 10 million stem cells into the paralyzed patients. Four of them have seen dramatic results in the early-stage clinical trial – and though they are by no means healed from their injuries, their overall quality of life has improved. One example is the man who had experienced a spinal cord injury during a bicycle accident near his home in Illinois.