Missouri Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

In recent years, research on treating complete paralysis due to spinal cord injuries has been significant, but research on treating incomplete paralysis in patients with less-severe injuries or conditions like multiple sclerosis has fallen by the wayside. Now, however, an electrical stimulation system for the nervous system is helping patients with partial paralysis walk and even run, giving them improved health and a new lease on life.

The neurostimulation systems are designed to treat foot drop, a condition that occurs in patients with partially-paralyzed legs, hips, or feet. Foot drop happens when the brain signals the leg to lift up to take a step, but it can only respond partially due to the paralysis. Patients with foot drop often have difficulty walking because the leg and foot don’t lift or move far enough forward for the patient to stay balanced. Falls are common in foot drop patients, which can increase their risk of injury.

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Once upon a time, physical therapy for patients paralyzed by spinal cord injuries wasn’t a part of most treatment plans. Keeping the muscles toned when patients couldn’t use them didn’t seem necessary, and it often gave patients false hope that they would someday regain the use of their paralyzed limbs. Today, however, physical therapy for paralyzed spinal cord injury patients is used increasingly to keep muscle tone going, improve immune system function, and prepare patients for the possibility that treatments might improve their own ability to use their limbs again.

New research on spinal cord injuries indicates that exercise can help the brain rebuild connections severed by the injury, improving the chances of regaining motor functions, according to a recent article from Scripps News.

Even in patients who have no motor control at all, exercise helps keep other body systems, like the heart and lungs, healthy. It also stimulates the body’s natural immunities, helping patients fight off colds, infections, and other bugs. Also, keeping the muscles in good condition helps make paralyzed patients better candidates for experimental spinal cord injury treatments, should they choose to participate in studies.

Spinal cord injuries can occur in car accidents, workplace accidents, slip and fall accidents, and a wide range of other situations. They are often expensive and difficult to treat, and can leave the injured person with permanent disabilities. If you’ve suffered a spinal cord injury, please don’t wait to call the experienced Missouri spinal cord injury attorneys at Page Law to discuss your legal rights and options. For a free consultation, call us today at (314) 322-8515.

When you have been in a car accident, any injury is possible, but one of the most frightening outcomes is a spinal cord injury. Such an injury can cause permanent paralysis or loss of bodily sensation. It can change a person’s entire life. Vehicular collision is the most common cause of spinal cord injuries, and can be linked to any type of lasting spinal paralysis.

The spinal column is divided into four sections of stacking bones, or vertebrae. The site of an injury and the vertebrae affected often determines the severity of a spinal injury. An anatomically higher injury to the spine is sometimes more dangerous than a lower one. For example, if the cervical vertebrae (those of the neck) are injured, the victim may have a lower quality of life than, say, someone injured at the lumbar section (lower back), depending of the severity of the injury. Of course, these statements are general. Several factors contribute to the damage and the resulting permanent injury of a blow to the spine. Only your doctor can tell you exactly how badly you are hurt following a car accident.

The Spinal Cord Injury Information Network has studied these injuries and their effects for over forty years. They have compiled statistics on nearly every aspect of such injuries. One of the most interesting figures they have found is the median cost of a spinal injury based on the age of the person injured and the severity and location of the injury. An experienced St. Louis spinal cord injury lawyer can help recover some of the costs, though they are truly staggering.
A twenty-five year old person injured at the neck could incur over millions of dollars in expenses related to the injury. Even a healthy young person with no lasting paralysis or motor loss can expect medical expenses in excess of a million dollars over their life. Furthermore, these numbers show an astonishing increase as the age of the injured person increases.

If you or someone you love has suffered a spinal cord injury because of a Missouri driver’s carelessness, you have a right to legal action. Contact the dedicated St. Louis car accident lawyers at Page Law at 314-322-8515 today for a free and extensive consultation on your case.

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The law firm of Page Law, LLC frequently works with accident victims who have suffered a spinal cord injury. Fortunately, researchers are constantly working on new treatments to help victims who have suffered a spinal cord injury.

According to the Mayo Clinic, immediately after a victim has suffered a spinal cord injury, emergency personnel will attempt to immobilize the spine for transportation to the hospital. In the emergency room, while conducting diagnostic tests, doctors also focus on allowing the patient to breathe, attempt to prevent the patient from going into shock, keep the patient’s neck immobilized, and avoid additional complications from the injury-causing accident.

Once the diagnostic tests are complete, if a victim does have a spinal cord injury, they are admitted to an intensive care unit or a spine care center. Patients are usually given medication that can treat spinal cord injuries. The victim typically undergoes surgery, both to remove any objects that are compressing the spine, and sometimes to stabilize the spine. Depending on the circumstances of the injury, patients sometimes also have experimental treatments performed.

After surgery or stabilization, doctors then attempt to prevent problems that can arise from spinal cord injuries, such as blood clots, ulcers, and infections. Rehabilitation may also begin at that time. Spinal cord patients are usually prescribed medication to manage some of the effects of the injury. Patients are also evaluated to see if any new technologies could be of assistance to them, such as computers, new wheelchairs, or electronic aids.

Have you been the victim of an accident that has resulted in a spinal cord injury? If so, you may be able to recover compensation from negligent parties for your injury, including the costs of medical care, both current and future, pain and suffering, loss of wages and more. Contact the St. Louis spinal cord injury lawyers at Page Law, LLC today by calling 1-314-488-2433 for more information.