Spinal Injury Infographic

TLW have produced a spinal injury infographic to explain what a spinal injury is and how it can effect someone who has had a spinal injury.

We have recently launched a personal injury team here at TLW Solicitors. We are providing specialist serious injury legal services to people in the North East of England who have had spinal injuries, as well as serious brain and orthopaedic injuries.

Traumatic injuries

Some of the main ways that people suffer spinal injuries are:

• Motor vehicle accidents
• Football
• Falls
• Gymnastics
• Violence
• Diving into shallow water

Spinal cord injuries affect more men than women. The majority of people who sustain a spinal cord injury are young adults between the ages of 16 and 30 because of riskier behaviours.

As well as traumatic injuries there are other ways that the spinal cord can become injured:

Non-traumatic injuries/illnesses

• Cancer Osteoporosis
• Multiple sclerosis
• Inflammation of the spinal cord
• Arthritis

 Facts and figures

• Around 1,000 people sustain a spinal cord injury each year in the UK and Ireland
• Spinal cord injury primarily affects young adults
• Approximately 80% of those living with a spinal cord injury are male
• There is an increasing incidence in the elderly for whom rehabilitation can be more difficult
• 50,000 people live with paralysis in the UK and Ireland
• There are currently no effective treatments for spinal cord injury
• Spinal cord injury can affect anyone at any time

Source: www.spinal-research.org

Support

There are various sources of support for those affected by spinal cord injury in the UK. Please see below some examples of the support available:

Spinal Research is the UK’s leading charity funding medical research around the world to develop reliable treatments for paralysis caused by a broken back or neck. Every year, 1,000 people in the UK and Ireland are paralysed following an injury to their spinal cord. Spinal Research raises money to fund research into clinical treatments as well as vital basic science research.

The Spinal Injuries Association is a national charity dedicated to helping the 40,000 spinal cord injured people in the UK rebuild their lives.

Back Up Trust inspire independence in anyone affected by spinal cord injury and encourage everyone to get the most from their lives. They work with people of all ages, from young children to the elderly, whatever the motivation or background.

Apparelyzed is a free spinal cord injury peer support website run by people with spinal cord injuries. This website and discussion forum is there to help with everyday issues experienced by those living with paralysis resulting in tetraplegia (quadriplegia), paraplegia and cauda equina syndrome.

We hope you find this spinal injury infographic useful and if you would like to speak to us about anything in relation to a spinal injury in the North East of England, please feel free to contact us.

© TLW Solicitors 2016