Does an incomplete spinal cord injury mean that you’ll be temporarily paralysed? It’s a simple question with a complex answer – because every injury is different.
Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury and Paralysis
There’s an enormous variety of possible spinal cord injuries, and no two are ever the same. Injuries vary in level – the location of the injury along the spine – as well as completeness.
A complete injury is one where the spinal cord is severely damaged and can no longer transmit any motor or sensory signals past the point of injury. This kind of injury is permanent and currently irreversible – which means that paralysis will be permanent, too.
On the other hand, incomplete spinal cord injuries exist on a wide spectrum.
At one end, an injured person may experience almost no loss of sensation or motor function. At the other extreme, they could have lost all function, with patches of sensation remaining in some areas.
Most incomplete injuries are somewhere in between these two extremes, but studies have shown that the more spared neural connections you have, the greater your recovery potential.
Temporary Paralysis and SCI
With complete injuries, paralysis is permanent – but rehab can improve function in other ways and help build strength. With incomplete injuries, while there is more chance for recovery and restoration of function, it’s variable; paralysis may still be permanent. It’s totally dependent on how complete the injury is, injury level, treatment, the circumstances of the injury – and many other factors.
This makes it difficult for spinal cord injury specialists to give an accurate prognosis, which can be terribly frustrating. What is known is that, in the cases where function is improved, the majority of recovery from incomplete SCI occurs in some form within the first six months – although many clinicians will talk about a two year window, within which some recovery or repair could occur.
Conditions that can Cause Temporary Paralysis
Some conditions associated with the spinal cord can cause temporary paralysis – but if they aren’t properly treated in time, they can lead to spinal cord injury and permanent paralysis. These conditions include Transverse Myelitis and Cauda Equina Syndrome.
Transverse Myelitis
In Transverse Myelitis, the myelin sheath (the insulating layer around nerves, including the spinal cord) is damaged by inflammation. This interrupts the signals that travel down the spinal cord, causing a combination of symptoms – which can include muscle weakness and paralysis.
With timely treatment, most people (at least partially) recover from Transverse Myelitis. In the most severe cases, the spinal cord is irreversibly injured and paralysis is permanent.
Cauda Equina Syndrome
The Cauda Equina is a bundle of nerves located in the lumbar region of the spine. Cauda Equina Syndrome is rare but serious – caused by a disc herniation in the majority of cases. There are other causes, including spinal trauma and infections.
Cauda Equina Syndrome can cause motor weakness and a loss of reflexes, along with other symptoms. It can mimic other conditions and sometimes presents with the hallmarks of a spinal cord injury.
Treating Cauda Equina Syndrome as an emergency gives patients the best chance of recovery – but around 20% of people do not fully recover.
Temporary Paralysis is Complex
There are many causes of temporary paralysis; strokes, neurological disorders, infections and traumatic injuries included. With incomplete spinal cord injuries, even though the first six months are the most important for rehab and recovery, it can take up to two years for the full extent of the injury to be known.
The reality of SCI is that even with statistics, studies and scientific research, no two injuries are the same – everyone experiences it differently.
At Aspire Law, we work tirelessly to support everyone who experiences SCI. With our charity partners, we help support those affected by SCI with legal assistance, housing, rehabilitation and skills – and so much more.
Talk to Aspire Law
Raquel Siganporia is a Senior Solicitor and Director of Business Development at Aspire Law.
Aspire Law specialises in spinal cord injury compensation claims. Contact Raquel free of charge and in confidence on 0800 030 20 40 or at Raquel.Siganporia@aspirelaw.co.uk.
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