Spinal injury
The spine can be injured by a forceful impact. The spine protects the spinal cord. If the spinal cord and / or associated nerve tracts are damaged this results in paralysis and loss of sensation.
Symptoms are
- Severe pain in the spine area
- Loss of sensation (tingling sensations and numbness)
- Paralysis
First Aid means here
- Tell the patient not to move
- Apply manual inline stabilisation (neutral position on their back, sitting or standing; exception on their stomach)
- Dial emergency number 144
Please also note
If someone is confused or unconscious and an incident involving force (a fall, impact)
is possible then a spinal injury must be assumed. Distracting factors (major, obvious injury, unconscious child, similar) may mask thesymptoms. Whenever a spinal injury is a possibility it should be assumed and handledappropriately until the emergency services take over.
Advanced subjects
Paraplegia / Tetraplegia
Vertebral fracture
Dermatomes