Ever broke your neck or know someone that had? I broke mine. I had C-5 replaced. I was lucky and did not suffer with being paralyzed.
2006-12-13 08:24:45 · 2 answers · asked by ropemancometh 5 in Health ➔ General Health Care ➔ Injuries
When someone says that they broke their neck, the automatic reaction is to assume that they will be paralyzed. In fact, the opposite holds true. Only in cases where the spinal cord is PERMANENTLY damaged/severed does one suffer paralysis. I have worked at hospitals in the ER for almost 20yrs and have seen at least 50-75 patients with some sort of severe neck injury. These would include: fractures and subluxations/facet dislocations. And the fact is that few of them became paralyzed. With the administration of steroids to reduce swelling within the spinal cord and good surgical intervention, the rate of permanent paralysis can be reduced tremendously.
I am happy for you that you suffered no paralysis.
2006-12-13 11:46:50 · answer #1 · answered by spyderman7652000 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
then you broke your spinous process and not the spinal cord.
You were lucky.
Everyone on the planet knows of christopher reeves, he broke his neck and eventually succumbed to complications of same.
2006-12-13 16:31:46 · answer #2 · answered by essentiallysolo 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋