Majority of spinal injuries are preventable
dubai — As many as 250,000 to 500,000 people are affected by spinal cord injuries every year, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“The irony is that majority of spinal cord injuries happen from road traffic accidents, falls or violence and preventable in most cases,” said Dr Chelladurai Hariharan, neurosurgeon specialist at the International Modern Hospital.
In the UAE, the most common mechanism of the injury is due to traffic collisions (48 per cent) followed by fall from heights (39 per cent) and fall at home or company (nine per cent). The approximate annual global incidence of spinal injuries is 40 to 80 cases per million population. Up to 90 per cent of these cases due to trauma in any form.
The injury tend to have a significant impact on the patient, their family and on the society, said Dr Hariharan. It may lead to serious disability like pressure ulcers, autonomic, deep venous thrombosis and pneumonia. “This significantly impacts rehabilitation and long-term quality of life,” he added.
Symptoms of a spinal cord injury depends on its severity and location on the spinal cord. Symptoms may include severe back pain or neck pain, weakness of limbs, loss of sensation, loss of bowel or bladder control, difficulty in breathing, changes in heart rate and blood pressure.
Spinal cord injury may render a person dependent on caregivers. Assistive technology is often required to facilitate mobility, communication, self-care or domestic activities. People with spinal injury also experience stress, depression and anxiety.
“A significant proportion of traumatic spinal cord injury is due to accidents, work or sportsrelated injuries. Effective interventions are available to prevent spinal cord injury, including improvements in roads, vehicles and people’s behaviour on the roads to avoid road traffic crashes, window guards to prevent falls, and self-protection,” said the doctor.