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Paraplegic, Tetraplegic
Perceptions about the
human spinal cord have undergone a revolution in recent years. What
was once considered immutable is now showing signs of promise.
Because of this, you must no longer accept that you will be
paralyzed for the rest of your life. Neuroscientists are on the
cutting edge of spinal cord research and making progress.
The spinal cord and
brain together comprise the Central Nervous System (CNS). The spinal
cord is responsible for the body's movement and sensation. The brain
is the center of our thoughts, the interpreter of our external
environment, and the origin of control over body movement. Like a
central computer, it interprets information from our eyes (sight),
ears (sound), nose (smell), tongue (taste), and skin (touch), as
well as from internal organs such as the stomach. The spinal cord
also is a conduit for information that regulates many of our
involuntary (autonomic) functions, including bladder, bowel and
sexual functions, as well as blood pressure, breathing and
temperature control. The cord also contains internal nerve circuits
that regulate the walking rhythm and joint reflexes that, for
example, lift our foot automatically when we stub a toe.
Most systems and
organs of the body control just one function, but the central
nervous system does many jobs at the same time. It controls all
voluntary movement, such as speech and walking, and involuntary
movements like blinking and breathing. It is also the core of our
thoughts, perceptions, and emotions.
The spinal cord is the
highway for communication between the body and the brain. When the
spinal cord is injured, the exchange of information between the
brain and other parts of the body is disrupted.
Many organs and tissues in the body can recover after injury without
intervention. Unfortunately, some cells of the central nervous
system are so specialized that they cannot divide easily and create
new cells. As a result, recovery from a brain or spinal cord injury
is much more difficult.
The complexity of the
central nervous system makes the formation of the right connections
between brain and spinal cord cells very difficult. It is a huge
challenge for scientists to recreate the central nervous system that
existed before the injury. A special phyisical and neuro therapy –
the
GIGER MD®
Therapy
– gives a new successful possibility of recovery for patients with
spinal cord lesions, brain injury and other disease affecting the
Central Nervous System (CNS).
Our back is composed of 33 bones called vertebrae, 31 pairs of
nerves, 40 muscles and numerous connecting tendons and ligaments
running from the base of your skull to your tailbone. Between your
vertebrae are fibrous, elastic cartilage called discs. These "shock
absorbers" keep your spine flexible and cushion the hard vertebrae
as you move.
The vertebral column
serves to:
-
protect the spinal
cord and spinal nerves
-
support the weight
of the body
-
provides a partly
rigid and flexible axis for the body and a pivot point for the
head
-
play an important
role in posture and motion (movement from one place to another)
Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) involves damage to the spinal cord that
results in a loss of function such as mobility or feeling in the
legs, arms and trunk. It can also mean the loss of bowel, bladder
and local sexual function. In order for the loss of function to
occur, the spinal cord does not have to be completely severed. In
most individuals with SCI, the spinal cord is intact, but it is the
damage to it that results in the loss of functioning. Also, a person
can break their back or neck yet not endure a SCI if only the bones
around the spinal cord (the vertebrae) are damaged, not the actual
spinal cord. In these cases, the bones usually heal and the person
does not experience paralysis.
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