Spinal cord injuries are among the most serious potential repercussions after a car crash. These injuries can result in a major life impacts. People who face this type of situation might be able to make a claim under Michigan’s no-fault insurance system, which currently provides uncapped medical care costs for people who have catastrophic injuries.
When you are facing a spinal cord injury, you might be concerned about what your future will hold. This is a difficult position for anyone to be placed in, but more so when there are so many variables that can impact the outcome.
Spinal shock can make things worse
Spinal shock is the immediate reaction to an injury in this area. It makes the injury seem worse than it actually is, but this can be disheartening to a person who is facing a life with limitations and challenges from an accident they didn’t cause.
Initially, the spinal cord nerves and cells are damaged. This leads to the release of toxic chemicals and a lack of oxygen to the area. These secondary issues start in the hours after the injury and can continue in the following days.
Once spinal shock abates, you may see a mitigation of some effects of the accident, too. This means that you could regain abilities that you lost, but you might not return to your level of functioning before the crash.
Prompt treatment is necessary
In the past, it was thought that allowing the spinal cord to rest after the accident was beneficial. While it is true that allowing the inflammation to decrease is a good choice, this can’t be done if there is a condition that requires surgical intervention. For example, treatment of a blood clot on the spinal cord would need surgery without waiting on the inflammation to go down.
People who are willing and able to start physical therapy (PT) soon after the accident may fare better than those who have to wait to get started. It is necessary to balance the need begin PT while also allowing the victim to recover from the injuries.
As you work on reclaiming your life, you may need to find new ways of doing things. This can prove to be challenging but never give up as people often make astonishing recoveries from initially harrowing and traumatic injuries.
