Spinal Cord Injury
Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) may happen when you are in an accident, fall, or have a disease that affects your spinal cord (10). SCI is a disabling condition that disrupts motor, sensory, and autonomic functions. Despite extensive research in the last decades, SCI continues to be a global health priority affecting thousands of individuals every year (11).
The brain and the spinal cord work together. The spinal cord is the link between the brain and the nerves in the rest of the body. It helps the body to move, to feel hot and cold temperature, to sense the position of your arms and legs, to control blood pressure, heart rate and body temperature (10).
The causes of SCIs can be put into two groups: traumatic and non-traumatic. The most common cause of traumatic injury in the United States is motor vehicle accidents (MVAs). MVAs cause 44 out of 100 of all SCIs. Non-traumatic injuries are caused by diseases that affect the bones, nerves, or spinal cord (10).
The lack of effective therapeutic strategies for patients with SCI reflects its complex pathophysiology that leads to the point of no return in its function repair and regeneration capacity (11). A successful therapy might target different pathologic events to control the progression of secondary damage of SCI and promote regeneration leading to functional recovery (11).
