Spine and Spinal Cord Injuries

Second only to the brain, the spine is the most complex part of the human anatomy. It houses the spinal cord, which transmits the brain’s signals to the muscles of the body.

The spine consists of 24 interconnected bones called the vertebrae. The brain’s signals are transmitted through nerves that extend from the spinal cord through these vertebrae, and into the muscles of the body.

The spine also acts as a shock absorber, through soft tissue segments located between each vertebra, called discs. When discs are damaged, the injury often leads to a debilitating and painful nerve injury.

Although paralysis is an obviously devastating result of a spinal cord injury, there are a host of spine and spinal cord injuries that can also be devastating.