Spinal Cord Injury – Diagnosis and Treatment
The spinal cord is a bundle of nervous tissue and support cells that extends from the brain to the lumbar region of the spinal column. There are 31 pairs of nerves that extend from the spinal cord and lead to the arms, legs, chest and abdomen. Signals from the brain use these nerves to command muscles and cause movements of the arms and legs. The nerves from the upper portion of the spinal cord control the arms while those from the lower portion control the legs. The nerves also control heart rate, breathing rate, bowel and bladder function. Other nerves travel back through the arms and [...]