Damage to the spinal cord affects all nervous function that is controlled at and below the level of the injury, including muscle control and sensation. More than 30 bones make up the spine. Direct injury such as cuts can occur to the spinal cord, particularly if the bones or the discs are damaged.
Direct damage can also occur if the spinal cord is pulled, pressed sideways, or compressed.
This may occur if the head, neck, or back are twisted abnormally during an accident or injury. Bleeding, or fluid accumulation and swelling, can occur within the spinal cord or outside the spinal cord but within the spine. The accumulation of blood or fluid can compress the spinal cord and damage it. Spinal-cord trauma often causes permanent disability such as paralysis because nerve fibers are slow to heal and if they are destroyed, nerve fibers do not regenerate. Spinal-cord trauma can cause death in some cases.