Spinal Cord Injury: Tests and Treatments
What Tests Are Used to Determine the Extent of Injury?
- Neurologic examinations
- CT scan or MRI of the spine
- Spine X-rays
Why is back pain or a knee injury annoying to one person and sheer agony to another? Turns out, an individual's tolerance to pain is as unique as the person, and is shaped by some surprising biological factors, as well as some psychological factors that we can actually try to control.
Read the What's Your Pain Tolerance? article > >
How Is a Spinal Cord Injury Treated?
A spinal cord injury requires immediate treatment in order to decrease risk of long-term problems. Corticosteroid drugs such as dexamethasone (Decadron) or methylprednisolone (Medrol) are used to reduce swelling. In some cases, surgery may be recommended. Bed rest may be needed in order for the spine to heal. After acute spinal cord injuries occur, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and other rehabilitation interventions sometimes are required.
There is no cure for spinal cord injury; however, researchers continue to work on advances, many of which have resulted in a decrease in damage at the time of the injury.
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