Spinal Cord Injury Symptoms and Effects

The most common causes of spinal cord injuries include:

• Motor vehicle accidents.
• Traumatic injuries.
• Falls.
• Sports and recreation accidents.
• Diseases, such as tumors, infections and inflammation of the spinal cord.
• Vascular syndromes.

Spinal cord injuries can lead to a number of complications and effects. Some of the most common symptoms include:

• Loss of movement (paralysis) below the injury.
• Loss of sensation—including the ability to feel heat, cold and touch—below the injury.
• Exaggerated reflexes or muscle spasms below the injury.
• Spasticity.
• Loss of bowel and bladder control.
• Potentially life-threatening over-activity of the autonomic nervous system (autonomic dysreflexia). Autonomic dysreflexia affects body functions such as heart rate, blood pressure and breathing.
• Trouble breathing, coughing or clearing mucus from the lungs.
• Trouble swallowing.
• Changes in sexual function and fertility.