The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.– Albert Einstein
Monday, March 24, 2014
ARR# 5 - Period 3
What happens in spinal cord injury? Find out here. In the space below, leave a comment. You should react to the article AS WELL AS your classmates' comments. Feel free to pose questions that will invigorate the conversation.
Before reading this article, I had no idea spinal cord injury had so many side effects and that it can limit what people with these injuries can and cannot do. The history of these kind of injuries are interesting because not spinal cord injuries can actually be treated rather than going untreated and eventually dying because of it. Now the steroid drug methylprednisolone can help reduce pain if it is giving a few hours after the injury happened. I didn't even know that there were different stages of spinal cord injuries and that doctors classify them in different ways depending on sensory functions and how the patient seems to be acting. I found it interesting how most spinal cord injuries are found in men rather than women and that men with these injuries might need assisted fertility treatment if they want children. I liked this article a lot because now I know what spinal cord injuries are and how to treat the body if myself, or anyone I know happened to get an injury that would cause damage to the spine. This article also made me want to be more careful in everyday life because I can't even imagine losing signals to your brain and having to go through what certain patients have to go through who have a spinal cord injury. However, at least there is better technology and medicine to treat it.
Like Lizzie, I also did not realize to what extent a spinal cord injury can have an impact on a person's life. It's also amazing that spinal cord injuries can be traced back to ancient times and be compared to the medical technology we have today. Before, spinal cord injuries were a sign of death, but today many are capable of living with limited abilities. Do you think people would take more precautions in their everyday life if we did not have the technology that we have today to prevent spinal cord injuries from happening ? I also did not realize that there was an immediate treatment for spinal cord injuries. I simply thought that people who get spinal cord injuries were rushed to the hospital and were tested to see how bad their damage is. I also realized that spinal cord injuries do not only affect the spine. If they are severe enough they can impact other parts of a person's body such as their respiratory system. It was very surprising to see that spinal cord injuries do not affect parts of the body, instead it can impact most parts including the reproductive system. Based upon what areas of the body a spinal cord injury can impact, does your original view on spinal cord injuries change?
My mom takes care of a 62 year old woman with cerebral palsy. She has no control of her lower body and can not extend her hands. Everyday my mom has to help her with all she cant do herself, including going to the bathroom and being lifted into bed. I have never met her but through the stories my mom has shared with me it is very clear she is not happy with her life and never really has been. Spinal cord injuries have always been very scary to me, suddenly damaging the structure of your spine and nerves to your brain can cause so much damage. Having no control of parts of the body can happen with a single fall, and how doctors in the past have tried to treat spinal cord injuries because of the limited information and technology is even more terrifying. Like Lizzie mentioned, I am glad that we have come much further with ways to help people who have been unfortunate enough to become paralyzed.
Before reading the article I knew that spinal injuries were severe, but like Lizzie and Courtney, I had no idea of the actual severity and horrible side effects. I also did not know how common they were. I thought that they can only happen if you damage your spinal cord beyond repair. It interesting that most spinal cord injuries happen in people ages 16-30 and that 80% of spinal cord injuries happen in men. It makes sense that spinal cord injuries are very dangerous because the spinal cord is connected your brain and your brain controls everything that happens in your body. Although there are ways to treat spinal cord injuries, maybe someday there will be more medical advances that allow to spinal cord to be fully repaired. Do you think this is possible?
Similar to Jazmin, I knew someone who had cerebral palsy and it was extremely sad. This person could not go to the bathroom by herself, get in and out of bed or complete daily functions. I never knew how important the spinal cord was in relation to the rest of the body. It is just as important as the brain. With out a functioning spinal cord, one can't move his/her lower body! It also amazes me that a spinal cord injury can cause respiration issues, blood pressure instability and blood clots. I love studying the human body and the network of functions with in it. I would love to study more about the spinal cord and its importance. It would be interesting to see stem cells repair an injured spinal cord.
Before reading this I knew very little about spine injury and only knew things from Friday Night Lights when Jayson Streit got paralyzed from tackling the other player. I knew the spinal cord was important, but I never realized that an injury to a specific place the neck can leave you paralyzed and I found it fascinating that Ancient Greece began surgery on the spinal cord. When I first began reading this I compared it to a chiropractor as they relined the spinal cord. I wish to pursue research in spinal cord injuries until a paralyzed person ca walk again.
Responding to Jaz and Lilah, my great aunt had cerebral palsy and it was extremely hard to watch someone go through this. Knowing that spinal injury is what can cause cerebral palsy it is very easy to relate. I was unaware how common spinal injury was and the seriousness of the effects it had on the person. I now understand why this is such a serious injury because your spinal cord is the "road" to the brain. anything traveling to the brain enters through the spinal cord, emphasizing its importance.
Like Anna, I never really realized how serious it could be if a person damaged their spinal cord. I few years ago I guy I know broke his neck when he was driving and all I remember is how many times my parents told me he was lucky because if his neck had moved a different way he would have most likely been a vegetable. While I was reading the article I thought that it was weird that men were more likely to get a spinal cord injury but I didn't really understand why. Are there any differences between spinal cords in males and females?
The idea of being paralyzed sends chills down my back due to the thought of something as protective as a vertebrae can actually cause damage to the spinal cord. The fact that spinal cord injuries are as common as 10-12 thousand injuries a year is also very scary. It is interesting to see the huge evolution in medicine and treatment in spinal cord injuries since and one who had paralysis would just be left to die automatically. Now surgeries are done with sterile conditions to prevent infections that occurred. I do not personally know someone with a severe spinal cord injury, but I have heard many stories of what they are and aren't able to do due to their failing nervous system. Things like Pneumonia are very shocking to see as a common death due to spinal cord injuries, however after reading the article, I can see how injuries can lead to breathing problems, as your brain is no longer in contact with your diaphragm.
I like Brandon the thought of bring paralyzed, or having a spinal cord injury sends chills down my spine. However this article did open my eye to how far the treatment of psinal cord injures has come. From the 1700 B.C. treatment which was just to let the person die to possible realignment in the 400's B.C. and even just 60 years ago about someone possibly able use a limb again is amazing, and even further the possibility of using stem cells to repaire a spinal cord. However I am curious how administering a drug within 8 hours after the injury can actually help the pacient recover. It is also crazy to see nhow much a spinal cord can affect the entire body, from difficulty breathing to reproductive functions and blood clotts. It just goes to show you how much our nervous system controls.
My dad had a spinal cord issue which did not occur because of an injury but was hereditary. He had to get three vertebrates removed and replaced with titanium rods. That was the extent of my knowledge of spinal cord problems. After reading the article, I got a better sense of what spinal cord injuries are and how to treat them. What shocked me most with in the article was hearing that "The initial physical trauma sets off a cascade of biochemical and cellular events that kills neurons, strips axons of their myelin insulation, and triggers an inflammatory immune system response." It's amazing how one traumatic event can spark such an immediate and abrupt response of our bodies. This really shows how miraculous our bodies really are. Also, this proves how important our spinal cords are; the body goes into panic mode as soon as the spinal cord is in jeopardy. That's amazing. Similar to Jazmin and Lizzie, it's good to hear that we are advancing in treatment for the paralyzed. It makes the whole idea of complete immobility less frightening as we are becoming more and more developed in that area. Overall, this article was very interesting and I learned a whole lot more about this topic.
To be frank, I am petrified of anything that involves the back. My family has numerous complications with the back, specifically scoliosis. Luckily, I do not have it, but I see my sister deal with it every day, which shapes my fear of the back. I do not know how this relates to paralysis or spinal cord injury. However, the article was very informing. I know of stories when the person dislocated a lodge in his back which eventually led to him getting rods/discs in his back, but luckily, I have not had a personal experience. I thought this article was pretty interesting considering that it gives a full length description of how it occurs (Within minutes, the spinal cord swells to fill the entire cavity of the spinal canal at the injury level. This swelling cuts off blood flow, which also cuts off oxygen to spinal cord tissue. Blood pressure drops, sometimes dramatically, as the body loses its ability to self-regulate. As blood pressure lowers even further, it interferes with the electrical activity of neurons and axons.") I knew the body was capable of a lot and this just solidifies my thoughts. The brain really is so interesting and complex and it just makes me want to study the brain more and hopefully take a neuroscience course. In my Intro to Psych course, I did learn the parts of the brain and spinal cord in relation to how a person's behavior can be effected. Overall, the central nervous system is capable so much and fortunately there are increasing ways to deal with paralysis, as Jazmin had said. There is so much more we do not know and it is just so engaging to know that someday we will figure it all out.
This article made me realize that spinal cord injuries do a lot more to the body than just paralyze someone. Like Lizzie and Court, I had no idea of the huge amount of issues that can occur with a spinal cord injury. It's so scary to read about all of these issues, especially since the 55% of injury victims are between 16-30. Although some teenagers are reckless and new drivers may get into car accidents more often than older adults, this age range surprised me. I thought since children fall down a lot and are not as aware of their surroundings as people older than them that spinal cord injuries would be common in children. I also assumed that since elderly people usually have worse health and many cannot walk as well as when they were younger, they would experience spinal cord injuries more often. And like Kelsey, I am also confused as to why this is extremely more common in men than women. But in general this article kind of scares me and makes me sick thinking about the physical damage and what it looks or feels like.
Spinal cord injuries give me a fright! I agree with Madison's comment that this article made me realize that spinal cord injuries do a lot more to the body than just paralyzing. I have heard tragic stories of injuries people have done to their spinal cords and it makes me want to be one hundred times more careful especially when playing sports. So many spinal cord injuries happen during activities like football. It was also surprising that most of the victims of spinal cord injuries are very young. It would be very unfortunate to get a spinal cord injury and have to deal with the consequences for the rest of your life. I hope that I never have to experience a spinal cord injury or that anyone else in my life does. Education is key and people have to know how to protect themselves.
Already squeamish about injuries in general, this article disgusted me. Just by doing something as harmless as riding a horse or sitting in the passenger's seat of your best friend's car you are at risk of getting a spinal cord injury. I was shocked when I read that there was "an estimated 100,000 to 12,000 spinal cord injuries every year in the United States" and that "55 percent of spinal cord injury victims are between 16 and 30 years old." I'm 16! What if I trip and fall down the stairs one day and "break my back" (originally I believed only our vertebrae was broken when someone referenced a broken back, not your spinal cord). Paralysis also gives me "a fright" as Niles would put it. This incredible and terrifying condition is unbelievable. Imagine waking up one morning and trying to get up but your body just won't move. It's scaring me just thinking about it! Learning about these injuries make me feel so grateful that I have not and hopefully will not ever experience something like that. Also, do you all have any thoughts on stem cell research? Advances in this field might just save one of us from a life of not being able to move our own bodies...
Before reading the article, I had no idea how serious a spinal cord injury really is and how damaging it can be. Not only can a spinal cord injury paralyze you, it can also cause chronic pain, bowel dysfunction, blood clots, spasms, and so many other things. I was shocked that there are 10,000 to 12,000 spinal cord injuries every year in just the US and 38.5% are caused by car accidents. I definitely am going to make sure I always buckle my seat belt, even if it's just for a quick drive, because you never know what could happen and spinal cord damage begins at the moment of injury when bone fragments, disc material, or ligaments tear into spinal cord tissue so you can never be too careful.
I can't imagine living a life where I had no function in my legs and can understand that it would cause serious "psycological effects." I had a decent understanding of spinal cord injury before reading the article, but it did broaden my knowledge of the history and treatment of spinal cord injury. I found it fascinating that injury of the spine is not always caused by the severing of the spine, but compression. The article somewhat explained the ways in which a person could experience an injury, which can sometimes be hereditary, like Johnna and Michael stated, but I also believe it can be caused by disease. My mother is a one on one nurse and said that her patient went on a trip to Africa and caught a disease while there. When he came back to the states he got sick and became paralyzed. The ways that a spinal cord injury can be taken on amazes me!
After reading the article it scared me to think that this is a real thing and it hurts so many people each year and that someone can be hurt to that extent from one injury. Just like everyone else I did not understand how serious a spinal cord injury could be and I can't imagine the pain those people must feel. Just like Sarah, I was even more surprised to see that so many people every year are hurt by a spinal cord injury and from reasons I never would have thought could hurt someone so much. This overall has made me realize the body is a smart thing and we need to protect it so it can continue to work properly.
Before reading this article, I had no idea spinal cord injury had so many side effects and that it can limit what people with these injuries can and cannot do. The history of these kind of injuries are interesting because not spinal cord injuries can actually be treated rather than going untreated and eventually dying because of it. Now the steroid drug methylprednisolone can help reduce pain if it is giving a few hours after the injury happened. I didn't even know that there were different stages of spinal cord injuries and that doctors classify them in different ways depending on sensory functions and how the patient seems to be acting. I found it interesting how most spinal cord injuries are found in men rather than women and that men with these injuries might need assisted fertility treatment if they want children. I liked this article a lot because now I know what spinal cord injuries are and how to treat the body if myself, or anyone I know happened to get an injury that would cause damage to the spine. This article also made me want to be more careful in everyday life because I can't even imagine losing signals to your brain and having to go through what certain patients have to go through who have a spinal cord injury. However, at least there is better technology and medicine to treat it.
ReplyDeleteLike Lizzie, I also did not realize to what extent a spinal cord injury can have an impact on a person's life. It's also amazing that spinal cord injuries can be traced back to ancient times and be compared to the medical technology we have today. Before, spinal cord injuries were a sign of death, but today many are capable of living with limited abilities. Do you think people would take more precautions in their everyday life if we did not have the technology that we have today to prevent spinal cord injuries from happening ? I also did not realize that there was an immediate treatment for spinal cord injuries. I simply thought that people who get spinal cord injuries were rushed to the hospital and were tested to see how bad their damage is. I also realized that spinal cord injuries do not only affect the spine. If they are severe enough they can impact other parts of a person's body such as their respiratory system. It was very surprising to see that spinal cord injuries do not affect parts of the body, instead it can impact most parts including the reproductive system. Based upon what areas of the body a spinal cord injury can impact, does your original view on spinal cord injuries change?
ReplyDeleteMy mom takes care of a 62 year old woman with cerebral palsy. She has no control of her lower body and can not extend her hands. Everyday my mom has to help her with all she cant do herself, including going to the bathroom and being lifted into bed. I have never met her but through the stories my mom has shared with me it is very clear she is not happy with her life and never really has been. Spinal cord injuries have always been very scary to me, suddenly damaging the structure of your spine and nerves to your brain can cause so much damage. Having no control of parts of the body can happen with a single fall, and how doctors in the past have tried to treat spinal cord injuries because of the limited information and technology is even more terrifying. Like Lizzie mentioned, I am glad that we have come much further with ways to help people who have been unfortunate enough to become paralyzed.
ReplyDeleteBefore reading the article I knew that spinal injuries were severe, but like Lizzie and Courtney, I had no idea of the actual severity and horrible side effects. I also did not know how common they were. I thought that they can only happen if you damage your spinal cord beyond repair. It interesting that most spinal cord injuries happen in people ages 16-30 and that 80% of spinal cord injuries happen in men. It makes sense that spinal cord injuries are very dangerous because the spinal cord is connected your brain and your brain controls everything that happens in your body. Although there are ways to treat spinal cord injuries, maybe someday there will be more medical advances that allow to spinal cord to be fully repaired. Do you think this is possible?
ReplyDeleteSimilar to Jazmin, I knew someone who had cerebral palsy and it was extremely sad. This person could not go to the bathroom by herself, get in and out of bed or complete daily functions. I never knew how important the spinal cord was in relation to the rest of the body. It is just as important as the brain. With out a functioning spinal cord, one can't move his/her lower body! It also amazes me that a spinal cord injury can cause respiration issues, blood pressure instability and blood clots. I love studying the human body and the network of functions with in it. I would love to study more about the spinal cord and its importance. It would be interesting to see stem cells repair an injured spinal cord.
ReplyDeleteBefore reading this I knew very little about spine injury and only knew things from Friday Night Lights when Jayson Streit got paralyzed from tackling the other player. I knew the spinal cord was important, but I never realized that an injury to a specific place the neck can leave you paralyzed and I found it fascinating that Ancient Greece began surgery on the spinal cord. When I first began reading this I compared it to a chiropractor as they relined the spinal cord. I wish to pursue research in spinal cord injuries until a paralyzed person ca walk again.
ReplyDeleteResponding to Jaz and Lilah, my great aunt had cerebral palsy and it was extremely hard to watch someone go through this. Knowing that spinal injury is what can cause cerebral palsy it is very easy to relate. I was unaware how common spinal injury was and the seriousness of the effects it had on the person. I now understand why this is such a serious injury because your spinal cord is the "road" to the brain. anything traveling to the brain enters through the spinal cord, emphasizing its importance.
ReplyDeleteLike Anna, I never really realized how serious it could be if a person damaged their spinal cord. I few years ago I guy I know broke his neck when he was driving and all I remember is how many times my parents told me he was lucky because if his neck had moved a different way he would have most likely been a vegetable. While I was reading the article I thought that it was weird that men were more likely to get a spinal cord injury but I didn't really understand why. Are there any differences between spinal cords in males and females?
ReplyDeleteThe idea of being paralyzed sends chills down my back due to the thought of something as protective as a vertebrae can actually cause damage to the spinal cord. The fact that spinal cord injuries are as common as 10-12 thousand injuries a year is also very scary. It is interesting to see the huge evolution in medicine and treatment in spinal cord injuries since and one who had paralysis would just be left to die automatically. Now surgeries are done with sterile conditions to prevent infections that occurred. I do not personally know someone with a severe spinal cord injury, but I have heard many stories of what they are and aren't able to do due to their failing nervous system. Things like Pneumonia are very shocking to see as a common death due to spinal cord injuries, however after reading the article, I can see how injuries can lead to breathing problems, as your brain is no longer in contact with your diaphragm.
ReplyDeleteI like Brandon the thought of bring paralyzed, or having a spinal cord injury sends chills down my spine. However this article did open my eye to how far the treatment of psinal cord injures has come. From the 1700 B.C. treatment which was just to let the person die to possible realignment in the 400's B.C. and even just 60 years ago about someone possibly able use a limb again is amazing, and even further the possibility of using stem cells to repaire a spinal cord. However I am curious how administering a drug within 8 hours after the injury can actually help the pacient recover. It is also crazy to see nhow much a spinal cord can affect the entire body, from difficulty breathing to reproductive functions and blood clotts. It just goes to show you how much our nervous system controls.
ReplyDeleteMy dad had a spinal cord issue which did not occur because of an injury but was hereditary. He had to get three vertebrates removed and replaced with titanium rods. That was the extent of my knowledge of spinal cord problems. After reading the article, I got a better sense of what spinal cord injuries are and how to treat them. What shocked me most with in the article was hearing that "The initial physical trauma sets off a cascade of biochemical and cellular events that kills neurons, strips axons of their myelin insulation, and triggers an inflammatory immune system response." It's amazing how one traumatic event can spark such an immediate and abrupt response of our bodies. This really shows how miraculous our bodies really are. Also, this proves how important our spinal cords are; the body goes into panic mode as soon as the spinal cord is in jeopardy. That's amazing. Similar to Jazmin and Lizzie, it's good to hear that we are advancing in treatment for the paralyzed. It makes the whole idea of complete immobility less frightening as we are becoming more and more developed in that area. Overall, this article was very interesting and I learned a whole lot more about this topic.
ReplyDeleteTo be frank, I am petrified of anything that involves the back. My family has numerous complications with the back, specifically scoliosis. Luckily, I do not have it, but I see my sister deal with it every day, which shapes my fear of the back. I do not know how this relates to paralysis or spinal cord injury. However, the article was very informing. I know of stories when the person dislocated a lodge in his back which eventually led to him getting rods/discs in his back, but luckily, I have not had a personal experience. I thought this article was pretty interesting considering that it gives a full length description of how it occurs (Within minutes, the spinal cord swells to fill the entire cavity of the spinal canal at the injury level. This swelling cuts off blood flow, which also cuts off oxygen to spinal cord tissue. Blood pressure drops, sometimes dramatically, as the body loses its ability to self-regulate. As blood pressure lowers even further, it interferes with the electrical activity of neurons and axons.") I knew the body was capable of a lot and this just solidifies my thoughts. The brain really is so interesting and complex and it just makes me want to study the brain more and hopefully take a neuroscience course. In my Intro to Psych course, I did learn the parts of the brain and spinal cord in relation to how a person's behavior can be effected. Overall, the central nervous system is capable so much and fortunately there are increasing ways to deal with paralysis, as Jazmin had said. There is so much more we do not know and it is just so engaging to know that someday we will figure it all out.
ReplyDeleteThis article made me realize that spinal cord injuries do a lot more to the body than just paralyze someone. Like Lizzie and Court, I had no idea of the huge amount of issues that can occur with a spinal cord injury. It's so scary to read about all of these issues, especially since the 55% of injury victims are between 16-30. Although some teenagers are reckless and new drivers may get into car accidents more often than older adults, this age range surprised me. I thought since children fall down a lot and are not as aware of their surroundings as people older than them that spinal cord injuries would be common in children. I also assumed that since elderly people usually have worse health and many cannot walk as well as when they were younger, they would experience spinal cord injuries more often. And like Kelsey, I am also confused as to why this is extremely more common in men than women. But in general this article kind of scares me and makes me sick thinking about the physical damage and what it looks or feels like.
ReplyDeleteSpinal cord injuries give me a fright! I agree with Madison's comment that this article made me realize that spinal cord injuries do a lot more to the body than just paralyzing. I have heard tragic stories of injuries people have done to their spinal cords and it makes me want to be one hundred times more careful especially when playing sports. So many spinal cord injuries happen during activities like football. It was also surprising that most of the victims of spinal cord injuries are very young. It would be very unfortunate to get a spinal cord injury and have to deal with the consequences for the rest of your life. I hope that I never have to experience a spinal cord injury or that anyone else in my life does. Education is key and people have to know how to protect themselves.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAlready squeamish about injuries in general, this article disgusted me. Just by doing something as harmless as riding a horse or sitting in the passenger's seat of your best friend's car you are at risk of getting a spinal cord injury. I was shocked when I read that there was "an estimated 100,000 to 12,000 spinal cord injuries every year in the United States" and that "55 percent of spinal cord injury victims are between 16 and 30 years old." I'm 16! What if I trip and fall down the stairs one day and "break my back" (originally I believed only our vertebrae was broken when someone referenced a broken back, not your spinal cord). Paralysis also gives me "a fright" as Niles would put it. This incredible and terrifying condition is unbelievable. Imagine waking up one morning and trying to get up but your body just won't move. It's scaring me just thinking about it! Learning about these injuries make me feel so grateful that I have not and hopefully will not ever experience something like that. Also, do you all have any thoughts on stem cell research? Advances in this field might just save one of us from a life of not being able to move our own bodies...
ReplyDeleteBefore reading the article, I had no idea how serious a spinal cord injury really is and how damaging it can be. Not only can a spinal cord injury paralyze you, it can also cause chronic pain, bowel dysfunction, blood clots, spasms, and so many other things. I was shocked that there are 10,000 to 12,000 spinal cord injuries every year in just the US and 38.5% are caused by car accidents. I definitely am going to make sure I always buckle my seat belt, even if it's just for a quick drive, because you never know what could happen and spinal cord damage begins at the moment of injury when bone fragments, disc material, or ligaments tear into spinal cord tissue so you can never be too careful.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine living a life where I had no function in my legs and can understand that it would cause serious "psycological effects." I had a decent understanding of spinal cord injury before reading the article, but it did broaden my knowledge of the history and treatment of spinal cord injury. I found it fascinating that injury of the spine is not always caused by the severing of the spine, but compression. The article somewhat explained the ways in which a person could experience an injury, which can sometimes be hereditary, like Johnna and Michael stated, but I also believe it can be caused by disease. My mother is a one on one nurse and said that her patient went on a trip to Africa and caught a disease while there. When he came back to the states he got sick and became paralyzed. The ways that a spinal cord injury can be taken on amazes me!
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article it scared me to think that this is a real thing and it hurts so many people each year and that someone can be hurt to that extent from one injury. Just like everyone else I did not understand how serious a spinal cord injury could be and I can't imagine the pain those people must feel. Just like Sarah, I was even more surprised to see that so many people every year are hurt by a spinal cord injury and from reasons I never would have thought could hurt someone so much. This overall has made me realize the body is a smart thing and we need to protect it so it can continue to work properly.
ReplyDelete