Spinakl cord injury information?

[Glass]

Does anyone know of a good source for info on spinal cord injuries? One of my friends broke his back on friday night and still cannot feel his legs. Im just looking ot read up on all i can about hese injuries so i can help this guy however i can...although i havent known him all that long, hes a volunteer firefighter, so i figure the least i can do for him is try to help out like he has helped many others over the years...Thanks.

---JOHN

[Up2myLbowsNmud]

http://www.shepherd.org/shepherdhomepage.nsf/Home?OpenForm

I didn't spend a lot of time looking over the site, but the shepherd center is in Atlanta and I know spinal cord injury patients are sent there from all over the world, one of the best centers. Maybe that site has some valuable info. Also, If you have any basic questions, I may be able to answer as I am fresh out of receiving my degree in Biology and actually had a class this spring where someone from the shepherd center came to talk to us about spinal cord injuries.

Sorry to hear about your friend though.

[mattadams]

unfortunately I dont know a great deal about it other then crap I've watched on the discovery channel about how animals can help cure people who otherwise are without hope. But thats a story for another day. I wish him the best, hopefully things will come back to him! I know they can sometimes be temporary...

[clavos]

Sorry to hear about your friend. A friend of mine has broken his back twice, and gone through a lot of pain and surgery but is walking again. There is always hope.

[Tray]

Once my wife gets up, I'll ask her. She's a nurse and may have some good references, but if not, her sister is a Physician's Assistant, so she may have some as well.

From what I was told when I broke the vertebrae in my neck, one of the biggest things is swelling. Even the slightest bit of swelling can make the use of limbs impossible. Other than that I have no first hand knowledge.

[Glass]

Thanks everyone, ill read most o f the info when i get home tonight, so far i know he broke his L-12 i believe, and he DIDNT sever his spinal cord, so there is some hope it can be re-habbed if most of his perelysis now is due to swelling form the brake and the first surgery. Thanks again.


---JOHN