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What are the levels of spinal cord injuries?

Defining spinal cord injuries helps both doctors and patients understand the extent of the injury. However, the process is not always that easy. The spinal area affects both mobility and sensation. If you have an injury, you may lose both mobility or sensation or just lose one of them. This complicates things for your doctor in West Virginia when it comes to defining the level of your injury.

According to the Travis Roy Foundation, doctors typically identify a spinal injury based on the first level affected. Other healthcare professionals may use other methods. All will define based on what function or sensation you have below the injury site. You can better understand your injuries by understanding the different sections of the spine.

Starting at the top, you have the cervical section, which is located in the neck area. This area controls your body from the neck to just below the clavicle. It also has control in the arms and hands. The next section is the thoracic. This is in the chest. It controls the body from your chest to the hips. The lumbar region is next. This is a common area for injury as it is in the back. It controls the hip to lower leg area. Finally, there is the sacral section. This is the tail and controls parts of your legs and the buttocks, including the anus.

Depending on the location and severity of your injury, you may have just the injured area affected or everything below the injured area. This information is for education and is not legal advice.