Question

) Joe and Henry were both in car accidents, and both suffered spinal cord damage. Joe's injury was in the lower back, and Henry's was in the neck region. The degree off injury tot he spinal cord is similar in both Joe and Henry. Would the resulting problems be equal in severity? Explain. Would either one or both require a respiration to breathe for him? Why? Describe some of the difficulties that you might expect Joe and Henry to have.

Answer 1

Spinal cord injuries can cause loss in the movement of voluntary muscles, and sensation loss too. However, the severity of injury depends upon the location of that injury, in the above mentioned case, Joe got injury in lower back as an impact of his such injury, movement and sensation in the legs can be affected, arms and trunk portion may also be affected regarding movement along with loss of sexual functions could also be an outcome of such spinal injury. But the life functions like breathing, digesting, thinking, hearing etc. will continue as normal because they are controlled by brain not the cord.

On the other hand Henry got injury in the neck region, his all those parts will be affected that are controlled by region of spinal cord that lies below the neck. Movement of arms, legs, trunk could be affected and he could be paraplegic most probably and also loss of sensation could occur. Just like Joe, Henry's other life functions like breathing, eating thinking etc. will continue as normal as those are not monitored by spinal cord but by brain.