Spinal
Cord Injury : Quadriplegic and Paraplegic Injuries
Paraplegic and Quadriplegic (Tetraplegic)
are terms used to describe the medical condition, for a person who has been paralysed due to
a spinal
cord injury. This classification depends on the level
and severity of a persons paralysis, and how it affects their limbs.
This website provides Patient
Information about acute spinal cord injuries, as well as
treatment, symptoms, information on long term rehabilitation issues
and Peer Support, to help improve the
quality of life of those affected by a spinal cord injury.
What is a Spinal
Cord Injury ?
A Spinal Cord Injury
(SCI) is typically defined as damage or trauma to the spinal cord that in
turn results in a loss or impaired function resulting in reduced
mobility or feeling.
Typical common causes of damage to the spinal cord, are trauma
(car/motorcycle accident, gunshot, falls, sports injuries, etc),
or disease (Transverse Myelitis, Polio, Spina Bifida, Friedreich's
Ataxia, etc.). The resulting damage to the spinal cord is known
as a lesion,
and the paralysis is known as Quadriplegia
or Quadraplegia / Tetraplegia if the injury is in the Cervical
(neck) region, or as Paraplegia
if the injury is in the Thoracic,
Lumbar
or Sacral
region.
It is possible for someone to suffer a Broken
Neck,or a Broken
Back without becoming paralysed. This occurs when there
is a fracture or dislocation of the vertebrae, but the spinal cord
has not been damaged.
What is a Complete and Incomplete Spinal
Cord Injury
There are typically two types of lesions
associated with a spinal cord injury, these are known as a complete spinal cord injury
and an incomplete spinal cord injury. A complete type of injury means the person is completely paralysed
below their lesion. Whereas an incomplete injury, means only part
of the spinal cord is damaged. A person with an incomplete injury
may have sensation below their lesion but no movement, or visa versa.
There are many types in incomplete spinal cord injuries, and no
two are the same.
What is Spinal Cord Injury
Rehabilitation
Someone with a spinal cord injury
will have a long road of rehabilitation ahead of them, usually at
a Spinal Cord
Injury Treatment Unit and Rehabilitation Centre
or Spinal
Injury Unit, and it is important that they keep their sense
of humor
on their bad days to help them maintain a positive attitude.
Generally, Paraplegics will be in hospital for
around 5 months, where as Quadriplegics can be
in hospital for around 6 - 8 months, whilst they undergo rehabilitation.
Both Paraplegics and Quadriplegics should have some kind of rehabilitation
and physiotherapy before they are discharged from hospital, to help
maximise their potential, or help them get used to life in a wheelchair,
and to help teach techniques which make everyday life easier.
Disabled sports, and wheelchair based sports can
be an excellent way to build stamina, and help in rehabilitation
by giving confidence and better social skills. The ultimate reward
for many disabled sportsmen and women, is to win at the
Paralympic Games, which will be coming to London in 2012.
Spinal Cord Injury Cure and Treatment
Paraplegic and Quadriplegic Discussion
Forum
If you have any spinal cord injury
related questions, please visit our Discussion
Forums and join in on the many topics there. We will
do our best to help you, or at the very least, put you in contact
with someone who can if we can't. The discussion forum is intended
to be a free flow of information between spinally injured people,
carers, and their friends, and everyone is welcome.
Even if you don't have any questions, take a look at the forum
anyway, as you may be able offer help and advice to others who have
questions. More >>>
Quadriplegic, Tetraplegic,
Paraplegic and What it Means
Quadraplegic is derived
from two separate words from two different languages, Latin and
Greek. The word “Quadra”, meaning “four”
which is derived from latin, relates to the number of limbs. “Plegic”,
is derived from the Greek word “Plegia”, meaning paralysis.
Put the two together, and you have “Quadraplegia”.
“Tetra” is derived from the Greek word
for “Four”. “Para” is derived from the Greek
word for "two" Hence: Tetraplegic and Paraplegic.
In Europe, the term for 4 limb paralysis has always
been tetraplegia. The Europeans would never dream of combining a
Latin and Greek root in one word.
In 1991, when the American Spinal Cord Injury Classification
system was being revised, the difference in names was discussed.
The British are more aware of Greek versus Latin names. Since Plegia
is a greek word and quadri is Latin, the term quadriplegia mixes
language sources. Upon review of the literature, it was recommended
that the term tetraplegia be used by the American Spinal Cord Association
so that there are not two different words in English referring to
the same thing.
Additional Information
There's a new area on the forum for the
discussion of both the Winter Paralympic Games and the Summer Paralympic
Games. Feel free to discuss the upcoming London Paralympic Games to be
held in 2012.
Contribute
to the Paralympic Games Forum >>>
Webmasters
If you run a website which deals with quadriplegia, paraplegia
or spinal cord injuries,
or is targeted at a paraplegic or quadriplegic person, we would be more
than happy for you to link to us, and would be prepared to add a reciprocal
link in kind. You can either make up a link to us, or use the code on
our links page. 
Top 6 Causes of
Spinal Cord Injuries
Falls = 41.7% :
Road Traffic Accidents = 36.8% : Sport = 11.6% : Knocked over, Collision, : Lifting = 4.2% : Trauma (not specified) = 3.3% : Sharp Trauma/Assault = 2.7% |
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I find your site very helpful, have been a para
since 1974 and am now learning alot more than what was
ever told me back then. Thanks. T.Jolet-Hebert.
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