What is a Spinal Cord Injury?
Spinal cord injury (SCI) refers to any damage to the spinal cord, whether from trauma, disease, or a degenerative disorder. This may result in loss of movement, sensation and changes in autonomic functions such as blood pressure and temperature control.
The spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that transmits messages between the brain and the rest of the body. The spinal cord runs from the base of the brain through the center of the vertebrae and is protected by the spinal column.
What Does My Injury Level Mean?
Your spinal cord injury (SCI) level can help provide a starting point for understanding movement and function—but it does not determine what you can or cannot do.
Every SCI is different. The level and completeness of your injury, along with your strength, range of motion, sensation, endurance, balance, and other factors, all influence how you may participate in sport and recreation.
Think of Your Injury Level as a Starting Point—Not a Limit
Your injury level can help identify:
- What movement you may have
- Which muscles you may be able to activate
- What type of adaptive equipment may be helpful
- How you may control that equipment
- Which sports may be a good place to start exploring
The right combination of equipment + adaptations + support can open up opportunities that may not seem possible at first.
Your Injury Level Is Only One Piece of the Puzzle
Two people with the same injury level can have very different abilities—and may participate in the same sport in completely different ways.
C1-C4 | Exploring Recreation with Alternative Controls
Individuals with C1–C4 injuries typically have significant limitations in arm and hand function. Recreation may therefore involve technology, powered equipment, and alternative ways of controlling equipment.
Depending on your available movement and abilities, you may be able to use:
Sip-and-puff • Joystick • Head controls • Switches • Muscle-activation controls
Â
C5–C7 | Building on Available Arm Function
As you move through C5–C7, you may have increasing levels of upper-extremity function. Depending on your individual abilities, this can create additional opportunities to push, pull, grip, stabilize, or control adaptive equipment.
For some individuals, available biceps, triceps, wrist, or hand function can be incorporated into sport.
T1-T12 | Truck Control and Stability
With increasing hand and finger function, you may have more opportunities to grip, hold, push, pull, and manipulate equipment.
With thoracic-level injuries, arm and hand function is generally more available. Trunk control, balance, and stability become important considerations when exploring recreation.
L1-L5| Lower-Body Function and Mobility
Lumbar-level injuries can involve varying amounts of hip, knee, ankle, and foot function.
Depending on your individual strength and mobility, you may explore recreation using: Standing • Walking • Running • Bracing • Adaptive equipment • Wheelchair mobility
Incomplete vs Complete SCI
An incomplete spinal cord injury means there are some messages going to and from the body and brain despite the damage. This means individuals may have some feeling or voluntary movement below their level of injury.
A complete spinal cord injury means there is no feeling (sensation that includes sense of touch, pain, temperature, position, vibration and deep pressure) or voluntary movement below the level of injury, suggesting that no messages are getting through the spinal cord.