Nassau

Published on: January 26, 2012

Kids Continue to Risk Grave Injury

by Stephen Bilkis

Professional athletes can perform amazing feats. Not too long ago, NBA star Blake Griffon slam-dunked a basketball as he leapt over a car. While these acts are impressive, doctors know, as well as anyone, that young people will try to emulate them, at least to some extent. Lacking both the judgment and skill of professional players, this can very well lead to spinal injuries. A life that has just started out could easily be made much harder in one moment of playfulness.

Such attempts are easy to find on YouTube. The website has a great many videos of kids suffering horrific-looking accidents while riding skateboards, sledding, or attempting parkour tricks seen in movies. This is true, of course, for basketball as well. It is easy to find numerous incidents of people attempting to increase their jump heights by springing from the back of a teammate. Usually, the result is fairly humorous. A pair of people fall to the ground, the ball doesn’t get anywhere near the hoop, and everyone laughs. Many of these videos show a lot worse and they often show the failed attempt without every showing what happened afterward.

YouTube has a number of videos where the person attempting to make the basketball shot from the back of a friend not only misses, but misses catastrophically. Instead of just falling to the ground, the basketball player misses the hoop entirely and falls to the ground, often right on his head. A direct impact such as that, with the full weight of the body falling from a height suddenly on the neck, can easily lead to spinal injury, as doctors know all too well. It is never easy to determine the effects such an impact might have. It is possible no damage will be done, but it is just as possible the blow could lead to paralysis. It could also lead to any number of problems in between, such as a weakened spinal cord or back and neck pain that could last for a lifetime. doctors in Nassau and Suffolk Counties are aware of this and warn their patients against reckless and unsupervised stunts.

Published on: January 23, 2012

Blue Food Dye May Hold Spine Recovery Secrets says a Rochester School

by Stephen Bilkis

Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center have made an amazing discovery. The blue food dye known as Brilliant Blue G, or BBG, responsible for blue M&Ms and blue Gatorade alike, may actually reduce spinal injury damage.

This is a breath of new hope for those who have suffered spinal injuries. The effects of something so simple as blue food dye may one day provide those who are currently wheelchair-bound to stand again.

The University of Rochester Medical Center researchers and hospitals in Nassau and Suffolk injected the dye into rats suffering spinal cord injuries – and the rats regained the ability to walk, though they did so with a limp, according to reports. It also had another side-effect; it turned the rats blue, at least temporarily.

Published on: January 17, 2012

New Spinal Cord Injury Research Could Lead to New Treatments

by Stephen Bilkis

A new research study by a Canadian researcher is learning new details about some previously unknown information about the human spinal cord, a researcher recalls. While there have been several spinal research studies over the years, what sets this study apart is that he has learned something that could improve the way in which lumbar spinal cord injuries are treated.

The researcher has stated that the spinal cord is described in physiology books as a relay system. However, according to his research, the spinal cord processes information in similar fashion as the brain. The scientist also learned that his research seeks to examine the spinal cord injury, more specifically the areas above and below the injury in order to “map” the area to determine the injuries nature and be able to measure how effective the treatment is.

His research is expected to be a guide to future spinal cord injury treatment procedures once the methods do become available. An as of yet unknown method of bridging a spinal cord injury, called bridging, is hoped to become available once research has advanced enough to learn how it can be done. The current research that is sometimes referred to as “spinal mapping” is expected to be instrumental in accurately locating the spinal cord injury that needs to be bridged.

Published on: January 10, 2012

Four Major Types of Thoracic Spine Injuries Experienced

by Stephen Bilkis

The thoracic spine is the upper back and is the most stable part of the spine. It is the longest section of the spine and because it has the support of the ribcage and ribs it is extremely well protected. When injuries to the thoracic spine do occur, they are caused by motor accidents, sport accidents, or violence. Most of the damage to the thoracic spine occurs in the bottom half of the thoracic spine, a doctor said.

There are four major types of thoracic spine injuries being a compression, burst, flexion-distraction, and fracture-dislocation. Of the four types, a compression spinal injury is the most common fracture in the thoracic spine. This injury occurs when the upper back is curved forward or sideways when the accident or violence occurs. When the back is bent forward, the front or side of the vertebrae is crushed in the impact. A compression injury is also called a wedge fracture, a doctor mentioned.

A burst fracture is similar to a compression fracture. However, the main difference is that the entire vertebra is crushed instead of a small portion of it. The vertebra is evenly crushed by the trauma. When a burst injury occurs, the vertebra is pushed into the spinal cord causing loss of motor, sensory, and reflex functions. It is rare for a burst fracture to occur because of the curve of the spine, but they do happen. The most common incident that causes a burst or compressed fracture is when someone falls from height and lands on their buttock or feet, a report stated.

Published on: December 30, 2011

Young Men under 32 High Risk for Spinal Injuries

by Stephen Bilkis

Research has found that accidents often result in thoracic spine fractures. There are several groups of people at risk for suffering from spinal fractures. The first are athletes they have a higher risk than people who are not involved in sports. Athletes involved in contact sports such as football or hockey, where it is typically for people to tackle or slam into you, should use caution and make sure that all protection gear is used at all times during practices, training and games. In addition, people who are involved in sport activities that have the possibility of falling are also at high risk. Sports such as high jump in track and field or rock climbing are examples of those activities, a researcher mentioned.

In addition, another group of people with a high risk of suffering from thoracic spine fractures is those who work at jobs with a danger of slipping and falling, a study stated. People in jobs such as working in construction or window washing should always use the proper restraints to protect themselves from falling.

The average age of people who damage their thoracic spine is 32. Over half, 55%, of the individuals injured are between the ages of 18 and 30 years old. US database listings showing that around 80% of injuries of this nature occur in males. Women who have transitioned into postmenopausal and have osteoporosis also have an increased risk for thoracic spine fractures.

Published on: December 23, 2011

Military Is Heavy Burden to Soldiers

by Stephen Bilkis

United States soldiers have a great burden to bear – literally, according to studies. One such soldier wore all the typical gear – body armor, a vest and pack for his radio, batteries, food, water, flashlight, ammunition, and all the rest of the things he needed in the field. Together with his M4 rifle, all of his equipment weight 70 to 80 pounds and he could feel the weight keenly.

He was in pain, especially when his squad was under fire. Running or diving on the ground was especially excruciating, making his neck and shoulders burn intensely in agony. Some soldiers have suffered herniated discs.

The soldier has now been back in Washington State for two-and-a-half years, doctors have learned. He has been diagnosed with bone spurs in the vertebrae of his neck. The cause? A degenerative arthritic condition. The pain can be so intense that he has trouble getting out of bed in the morning.

Published on: November 25, 2011

Legislation to Include Traffic Tickets to Cure Paralysis

by Stephen Bilkis

Legislation has been introduced in the California legislature that seeks to impose a $3 fine onto every ticket that is issued in California for reckless driving. Assembly Bill 190, as the legislation has been titled, seeks to reestablish the goal of another California law that funded spinal cord paralysis research. That law was referred to as “Roman’s Law.”

Roman’s Law was named after the college football player who was involved in an accident while playing college football in 1994, in which he was paralyzed, discovered a person close to the scene. His father, Don C. Reed, worked hard to establish the Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Center and was a citizen-sponsor for the Roman’s Law legislation. The laws official name was the Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Act of 1999, Assembly Bill 750.

Roman’s Law was one of the few pieces of legislation that has passed the legislature that almost everyone, republican and democrat alike actually agreed on and supported. Former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was also a supporter of the bill. The research the bill has been attributed with include stem cell, the Geron trials, the use of an “Avatar” helmet where the wearer can move a computer cursor across a computer screen by using their thoughts, and many others.

Published on: November 11, 2011

Marquis Daniels Released From Hospital

by Stephen Bilkis

Boston Celtics player Marquis Daniels was released from the hospital on February 7th, 2011 after sustaining a spinal cord injury during Sunday’s game.

Daniels was playing with his team, the Boston Celtics, against the Orlando Magics when he sustained his injury. The injury occurred when Daniels tripped over Gilberu Arenas, reports a New York Spinal Injury Lawyer. Daniels hit his forehead against the ground, which resulted in his spinal injury. He lay motionless on the court floor for several minutes before being removed from the court on the stretcher. According to a knowledgeable person who has studied cases in Nassau and Suffolk County, to give the fans a sign of hope, he did manage to flash a thumbs up sign as he was being carted off the floor of the T.D. Banknorth Garden Stadium.

A spokesperson for the Boston Celtics team informed the press that Daniels was released from a local hospital early this morning. He was said to be in good spirits and joking with the nursing staff.

Published on: August 11, 2011

Someone who has suffered spinal cord injury will usually have suffered some recent trauma

by Stephen Bilkis

Someone who has suffered spinal cord injury from a slip and fall accident will usually have suffered some recent trauma and will report tenderness on a certain part of the spine and pain when moving, NYC Spinal Injury Lawyers have noted. They may appear to even be paralyzed from the waist down, but still have some sensations, or even some slight movement, in that area.

Signs of real neurologic energy will often include bowel or bladder dysfunction and changes in sensation in the region around the anus (perianal region). Physicians should obtain a history of any previous spinal injury or neurologic difficulties the patient may have suffered in the past. The mechanism of the current injury should also be studied, along with the patient’s general state of health. Injury Lawyers recommend that the patient’s family be interviewed, or even observers, if the patient is unable to respond.

Upon being physically examined, a physician may discover cuts, bruising, and deformity on the back. It may be possible to feel any shifted vertebrae through touch. A seatbelt may have also left bruises or other marks along the chest or abdomen. The patient may also have difficulty moving his or her legs. It is difficult to assess motor function or levels of pain in a patient who is unconscious or intoxicated, NYC Spinal Injury Lawyers have discovered. Sometimes, the only way to tell, at first, if there is spinal cord injury is to watch the involuntary movement of the victim’s limbs. Examination by doctors in Nassau and Suffolk Counties should also include head injury assessment and checks for broken bones or abdominal or urologic trauma.

Published on: July 9, 2011

Concussions Leave Football Players with Permanent Brain Injury

by Stephen Bilkis

It has been estimated that at least 300,000 concussions occur each year among adults and children who play football. A concussion is considered a mild trauma to the brain that can cause permanent damage. While most people who receive a concussion are not rendered unconscious afterwards, they may complain about headaches, dizziness and nausea days later, reports a New York City Spinal Injury Lawyer. About 15% of those who suffer a concussion will blackout. But even if a person does not blackout, it does not mean that damage to the brain has not occurred. As doctors in Nassau and Suffolk County have discovered these injuries can lead to fatal spinal injuries.

According to Dr. Daniel Amen, a leading neurologist and researcher of brain trauma, has stated that every person who has played football, whether as a child or as an adult, may have some permanent brain damage. Others in the field are beginning to agree with Amen and have started seminars and training sessions for parents so they can better protect their children, states a NY Spinal Injury Lawyer.

Deceased NFL player Dave Duerson was so concerned about the impact of concussions on his fellow players that he had stated he wanted to donate his brain to science after he died so the affects of playing football on the brain may be studied. Many football players in the NFL have received at least one concussion during their high school, college or professional careers. In some cases, players may have received as many as 15 concussions. While the impact of these injuries will require further research, protecting the brain while playing football is a big concern. Wearing the proper equipment, restricting players from participating if they are suffering from a concussion and being able to diagnose a concussion quickly may help reduce the affects of a concussion, or in some cases, save lives.