A spinal cord injury can be complete or incomplete. A complete spinal cord injury totally severs the spine, causing quadriplegia, or loss of movement and sensation in all four limbs. An incomplete spinal cord injury does not cause total paralysis. Instead, it can cause paraplegia (paralysis of the lower limbs) or another form of incomplete paralysis, such as Brown-Sequard syndrome or tetraplegia. The higher up the spinal cord injury, the more serious the effects on the body.
Victims with serious spinal cord injuries may never be able to walk, eat, or talk on their own. Many require lifetime around-the-clock care, while others are relatively independent with help from mobility assistive devices such as wheelchairs or braces. Spinal cord injuries are typically permanent. No known treatment exists to restore a patient’s ability to move or feel below the point of injury. However, rehabilitative therapies and surgeries may help improve function and health over time.