There are two primary types of spinal cord injuries; classified as incomplete or complete. An incomplete injury means that the individual may have some movement or feeling below the injury site; there are varying degrees of incomplete injuries. A complete injury refers to cases where the victim has no movement or feeling below the spinal cord injury.
A person with a spinal cord injury may need a variety of medical interventions daily or significant help from friends and family. Another type of spinal cord injury is paralysis, which is usually categorized as quadriplegia or paraplegia. All pelvic organs, hands, legs, the torso, and arms are affected by a quadriplegic injury, while only portions of the pelvic organs, torso, or legs are affected by a paraplegic spinal cord injury.