Our spine is an amazing and primary part of our bodies. It is strong yet in some ways delicate. It is complex and it holds such a critical role for our central nervous system. Protecting the spinal cord. When the spine is fractured in an injury such as a fall off of the ladder for an auto accident, the injury is different than a broken limb such as an arm bone. A vertebrae cracks, not only can it become dislocated but it can result in fragments that are now pinching the spinal nerves or the spinal cord, possibly even causing them damage.

Spinal fractures also happen often in sports. If you have suffered a spinal injury, or your loved one has this injury, you may want to study the anatomy of the spine to understand it better. There are 33 bones in the spine in these provide the primary support for the body. They are called vertebrae, and they allow you to stand upright. They are the reason you are able to bend and turn and twist. Each vertebrae has been empty space inside, so as the vertebrates are stacked one on top of the other, you can imagine this empty space forming a canal. That is the spinal canal that houses the spinal cord. The spinal cord is sometimes referred to as an information superhighway. This is because it relays messages between your brain and the rest of your body. Many spinal nerves branch from the spinal cord. They passed between the vertebrae bones.

As with any injury, the severity of the injury and the damage caused ranges from minor to severe. Injury law firms unfortunately see people who have suffered debilitating spinal cord injuries. In some cases, the spinal cord has even been torn. Both fractures and dislocated bones can compress the cord and or the nerves. So you can imagine that these could be quite painful injuries. Most spinal fractures occur in the low back area which is also called Thoracolumbar. A small percentage occurred at the top of the back and neck region.

Many spinal fractures will not require surgery. But spinal injuries must be taken seriously and treated properly. If you or a loved one is experiencing pain in a certain region of your back, you could have a compression fracture. This means bone is compressing a nerve, or the spinal cord itself. If left untreated, it will most likely get worse. Another type of injury is the dislocation fracture, when a vertebra has moved as well as fractured. The third type is a burst fracture – in this case, the vertebral body is heavily compressed (severe compression).

In Part Two of this article, we’ll talk more about spinal injuries and treatments.