Spinal Cord Injuries
Damage to the spinal cord can lead to loss of feeling or an inability to use certain parts of the body. This is because the spinal cord is made up of nerves that carry messages to and from the brain so the body can react to stimuli. If the message carriers are compromised in some way, that information never makes it to where it needs to go, which means either the brain won’t register sensations (loss of feeling) and/or parts of the body won’t respond when the brain tells them to do something.
There are two kinds of spinal cord injuries: complete and incomplete. Complete spinal cord injuries means there is total loss of function in the area of the injury. Incomplete spinal cord injury means some function remains, and some areas of the body may be more functional than others.
Brain Injuries
The brain is one of the most vital organs in the body, and an injured brain can lead to a difficult life ahead. A TBI (traumatic brain injury) can not only lead to physical symptoms, but also emotional ones. Since the brain produces hormones, this process can be disrupted or altered after a brain injury, leading to outbursts and even changes in personality. Mild TBIs, otherwise known as concussions, can heal over time, but moderate or severe TBIs can affect a person for the rest of their life and lead to increased medical bills and other expenses related to the person’s care, not to mention reducing their ability to earn a living wage at a job.
