Cervical Spinal Injury

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: December 28, 2011

A U.S. Army Science Board study from 2001 recommended that soldiers should carry no more than 50 pounds for any length of time

by Stephen Bilkis

A U.S. Army Science Board study from 2001 recommended that soldiers should carry no more than 50 pounds for any length of time. The Army chief of staff agreed, and hoped to reach that goal by 2010. Unfortunately, studies have learned that soldiers carry much more than that, even today.

The simple weight that all soldiers must carry is leading to a number of musculoskeletal injuries that erodes the readiness of the military. The wars will someday come to an end, but these spinal injuries could remain for a lifetime and cost a great deal of money and time to treat, according to doctors.

A study by a John Hopkins University and two others in Manhattan and Long Island researched revealed that nearly a third of all medical evacuations from Iraq and Afghanistan from 2004 to 2007 were due to musculoskeletal, connective-tissue, or spinal injuries. Experts estimate that is around double the number of evacuations from combat injuries. The number of soldiers who were retired from the Army due to musculoskeletal conditions increased almost ten times from 2003 to 2009.

Published on: December 15, 2011

Football player with spinal cord injuries returns to playing

by Stephen Bilkis

While spinal cord injuries can be devastating and often life-altering, some people have managed to come back from being injured to continue on with their lives. This particular football player did and isn’t shy about telling others about his experiences. He sustained a spinal bruise last year and swore that no matter what, he would get back on the field, said the observer. He lived up to that promise to himself and is now lifting weights and running.

At the age of 33 years, many classify that as too old to be playing the brutal game of football, but that did not stop this man. Others thought it was time he packed it in. He figured otherwise and proved everyone wrong. Spinal bruising or cervical injury are serious injuries and if a player continues to play, he runs the very real risk of sustaining an even worse injury, explained the doctor. Fortunately, this footballer’s spinal cord healed well, and surgery was not necessary.

Not everyone is that fortunate. Those who have suffered a severe spinal cord injury, as the result of an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, may be eligible to file a personal injury lawsuit seeking compensation, suggested the expert in the field.

Published on: October 1, 2011

Teen wrestler doesn’t want spinal cord surgery, reports a New York Spinal Injury Lawyer

by Stephen Bilkis

This is an interesting case, in that the young man, a teenage wrestler, bruised his spine while playing his sport. A court now wants to mandate that the boy have spinal surgery for cervical spine injury, reported the New York Spinal Injury Lawyer. His parents, and the boy, are saying they don’t want or need the surgery and they have a video tape to prove he is capable of moving quite well.

The reason the court feels it should mandate the surgery is that the boy’s parents refused the spinal operation for their son. That prompted officials in their county to take custody of the boy. Why? They stepped in and started acting like the boy’s natural parents, because the family is firm in their belief of the benefits of natural healing and herbal remedies. They feel that spinal surgery could cause their son more harm.

The mother took a video of her son in his hospital bed, which shows quite clearly that he has the ability to move all of his limbs separately, and has a decent range of motion. He appears to have full movement and the family doesn’t think he needs unnecessary surgery, which may cause paralysis. The boy himself also states he doesn’t want the operation.

Published on: September 27, 2011

Quick Stop on Bus Lands Man With Spinal Injury

by Stephen Bilkis

Something as simple as a bus ride changed a 49-year-old man’s life forever and New York Spinal Injury Lawyers were there to help him.

The plaintiff boarded the bus and while looking for a seat, the vehicle came to a sudden stop, throwing him 20 feet across the bus. He landed on the floor on his right hip, shoulder, and back. Though he was released from the hospital on the same day, the effects of his injuries still linger. He was moved from his job as a cardio-pulmonary technician to a desk job. It took months of physical therapy to discover he had a herniated cervical disc. Two more years of physical therapy did not relieve the pain in his neck, and eventually a ruptured disc had to be surgically removed from his neck. Hospitals in New York City and Queen have similar treatments for this kind of injury.

The defendants in the trial, four years after the accident, had a number of counterarguments, but New York City Spinal Injury Lawyers were there to counter them all. In the end, he was awarded $450,000 for past pain and suffering and $300,000 for future pain and suffering. The Transit Authority appealed, but if it comes to another trial, Lawyers will stay in the fight to the very end.

Published on: August 27, 2011

Spinal surgery is an open procedure, using general anesthesia

by Stephen Bilkis

In the instances where there are broken bones in the spine, but no sign of neurologic difficulty, nonsurgical treatment can be appropriate. Compression fractures, in which the front or the side of the vertebrae is cracked, or some burst fractures, where a whole vertebra is cracked, are candidates for nonsurgical treatment, New York Spinal Injury Lawyers have learned. cervical spine injuries are not the same and doctors in New York City and Long Island treat this condition much differently. Nonsurgical treatment involves wearing a cast or a brace for 4 to 6 weeks. This period may be longer for individuals who have more severe injuries, or patients who have osteoporosis. It is not uncommon for physicians to recommend 1 to 3 weeks of bed rest.

Patients who have unstable fractures of the spine, where bones have been shattered, and the spinal cold stretched or pierced, often undergo surgical treatment. These procedures generally are used to realign the spine, stabilize the spine, and prevent (or even improve) any neurologic dysfunction. The actual treatment varies depending upon the severity of the injury on the spine and the spinal cord, as well as the general health of the patient, the patient’s age, and the personal discretion of the surgeon.

Spinal surgery is an open procedure, using general anesthesia, according to NY Spinal Injury Lawyers. These all require fusion of vertebrae to each other through metal plates, rods, wires, and/or screws to stabilize the spin. After the surgery is finished, a brace of some kind is used, as per nonsurgical treatment. There may also be the need for painkilling drugs after the surgery, which the doctor will prescribe.

Published on: June 16, 2011

Baggage handler sues Qantas over spinal injury

by Stephen Bilkis

A baggage handler for Qantas Airways Limited has won a fight to sue his employer over a spinal injury he received while at work. In the District Court ruling, the employee successfully sought to extend the period of limitations so he could proceed with a lawsuit.

The 39-year-old was left with a cervical spine injury in January 2006 after lifting a telescopic pole from the baggage compartment of an aircraft. Medical diagnosis at the time was that the man had a disc herniation which was caused by degeneration over time. He was told his symptoms would subside within two months and he did not require any treatment.

However, he continued to suffer from neck, left arm and leg pain for years, despite being transferred to a less physical role with the airline.