A spinal cord injury (SCI) occurs when there’s damage to your spinal cord, which is a thick bundle of nerve fibres that enables your brain to communicate with nerves throughout your body. These injuries can vary widely, from minor and manageable to severe and permanent.

The spinal cord is one-half of your central nervous system (CNS). Think of your nervous system as a busy expressway connecting your brain, the other half of the CNS. It has lanes for signals travelling away from your brain and others for those travelling back.

Types of Spinal Cord Injury (By Location)

• Cervical Spine (Neck Region): Located from the base of the skull to the shoulders. Injuries here can affect the arms and legs, and sometimes breathing, depending on the severity.
• Thoracic Spine (Upper to Mid Back): Extends from the upper back to just below the navel. Injuries in this region usually affect the torso and legs but typically leave arm function unaffected.
• Lumbar Spine (Lower Back): Found in the lower back and extends to the upper buttock region. Injuries here mainly impact the hips and legs, with bowel and bladder control sometimes affected.
• Sacral Spine (Near the Tailbone): Contains nerve roots that control the hips, legs, pelvic organs, and feet. Injuries in this area may affect bowel, bladder, or sexual function, but usually do not affect upper body movement.