Spinal Cord Injury: Treatments and Rehabilitation (cont.)
Jason C. Eck, DO, MS
Dr. Eck received a Bachelor of Science degree from the Catholic University of America in Biomedical Engineering, followed by a Master of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering from Marquette University. Following this he worked as a research engineer conducting spine biomechanics research. He then attended medical school at University of Health Sciences. He is board eligible in orthopaedic surgery.
Jay W. Marks, MD
Jay W. Marks, MD, is a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist. He graduated from Yale University School of Medicine and trained in internal medicine and gastroenterology at UCLA/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
In this Article
- What is the spinal cord?
- What is a spinal cord injury?
- What are the causes of spinal cord injury?
- What are the symptoms of spinal cord injury?
- How is a spinal cord injury diagnosed?
- How is a spinal cord injury treated?
- What is the outlook for patients with spinal cord injury?
- Is there a cure for spinal cord injury?
- Spinal Cord Injury At A Glance
- Where can I get more information on spinal cord injury?
- NIH spinal cord injury: treatments and rehabilitation
- A short history of the treatment of spinal cord injury
- What is a spinal cord injury?
- How does the spinal cord work?
- What happens when the spinal cord is injured?
- What are the immediate treatments for spinal cord injury?
- How does a spinal cord injury affect the rest of the body?
- How does rehabilitation help people recover from spinal cord injuries?
- How is research helping spinal cord injury patients?
- The future of spinal cord research
- Find a local Doctor in your town
The Future of Spinal Cord Research
Fueled by significant federal and private funding, the past decade of spinal cord injury research has produced a wealth of discoveries that are making the repair of injured spinal cords a reachable goal. This is good news for the 10,000 to 12,000 Americans every year who sustain these traumatic injuries.
Because spinal cord injuries happen predominantly to people under the age of 30, the human cost is high. Major improvements in emergency and acute care have improved survival rates but have also increased the numbers of individuals who have to cope with severe disabilities for the rest of their lives. The cost to society, in terms of health care costs, disability payments, and lost income, is disproportionately high compared to other medical conditions.
Considering the biological complexity of spinal cord injury, discovering successful ways to repair injuries and create rehabilitative strategies that significantly reduce disabilities is not an easy task. Researchers, many of them supported by the NINDS, are actively developing innovative research strategies aimed at making the kinds of exciting new discoveries that will translate into better clinical care and better lives for all.
REFERENCE: National Institutes of Health (www.nih.gov)
Last Editorial Review: 9/13/2007
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