
A person with paraplegia can still use their arms and hands. People with a thoracic spine injury may have paraplegia, which means that they have paralysis in parts of the trunk and legs. The thoracic spine includes the upper and middle part of the back.Ī thoracic spine injury often affects the muscles in the abdomen, legs, and lower back.
#Sacral spine full#
As cervical spine injuries are closest to the brain and may affect the largest portion of the body, they tend to be the most severe type.Īn injury to the cervical spine often causes tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia, which is full or partial paralysis of the four limbs and the torso. The top portion of the spine, which includes the vertebrae in the neck, is the cervical spine. Learn more about spinal cord anatomy here. In most cases, a person will lose some or all control and feeling in the limbs that are below the spinal cord injury.
thoracic spine (vertebrae T1 through T12)Įach of the four sections controls different parts of the body. cervical spine (vertebrae C1 through C7, which contain a total of eight cervical nerve roots). There are four sections of the spinal cord: The location of the injury also determines its type. Usually, doctors will categorize them into complete and incomplete spinal cord injuries.Ī complete injury is one in which a person loses all feeling and control of the body below the spinal cord injury.Ī person with an incomplete spinal cord injury may still have some feeling in or control of the affected areas. There are many different types of spinal cord injuries. pain, which can range from mild to severeĪ person’s symptoms will depend on the severity of the injury and which part of the spinal cord it affected. loss of movement of certain parts of the body. People who have spinal cord injuries may have some or all of the following symptoms throughout their life: However, the serious nature of spinal cord injuries means that it is always important to seek emergency medical care if these symptoms appear.Īnyone who is with a person who may have sustained a back injury should avoid trying to lift or move them, as this could significantly worsen any damage. Sometimes, a broken backbone can put pressure on the spinal cord, causing symptoms that may go away after the bone heals. Having these symptoms does not necessarily mean that a person has a spinal cord injury. numbness or tingling in the extremities. difficulty with balance and coordination. extreme pain in the head, neck, or back. The symptoms of a spinal cord injury vary from person to person.Ī person should seek medical care if any of the following symptoms are present following an accident or injury: It can also be used to monitor the progression of a disease like osteoporosis or to determine if a treatment you’re having is working.Share on Pinterest For people with spinal cord injuries, physical therapy and rehabilitation can play an essential role in improving and maintaining long-term quality of life. It can be used to view an injury from a fall or accident. Your doctor could order a lumbar spine X-ray for a variety of reasons. According to the Mayo Clinic, a lumbar spine X-ray can show whether you have arthritis or broken bones in your back, but it can’t show other problems with your muscles, nerves, or disks.
When focusing on the lower spine, an X-ray can help detect abnormalities, injuries, or diseases of the bones in that specific area. The lumbar spine also has:Īn X-ray uses small amounts of radiation to view your body’s bones. The thoracic spine sits on top of the lumbar spine. The coccyx, or tailbone, is located below the sacrum.
The sacrum is the bony “shield” at the back of your pelvis. The lumbar spine is made up of five vertebral bones. A lumbosacral spine X-ray, or lumbar spine X-ray, is an imaging test that helps your doctor view the anatomy of your lower back.