Diagnostic Category: Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)

The spinal cord is responsible for communicating two-way messages to and from the brain to all body areas – muscles, organs and skin. A spinal cord injury can occur due to illness (polio, spina bifida, Friedreich’s disorder, etc.) or injury (e.g. car accident, shooting, falls). SCI results to partial or complete loss of movement and sensation in parts of the body.

The lower part of the spinal cord that remains intact after injury is referred to as the neurological level of injury. SCI is classified as complete and incomplete damage, while any paralysis from injury or spinal cord disease can be categorized as quadriplegia or paraplegia.