| Spinal Injuries |
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| The SPINE (backbone) starts below the waist and ends at your head. Along with the muscles in your back, it allows you to stand upright. The spine is actually made up of 33 small bones, called VERTEBRAE, with a cord inside called the spinal cord. The SPINAL CORD is a bundle of nerves that takes messages from the brain to the body. For example, those messages tell your hands to move or your feet to walk when your brain wants them to. Any serious injury to the spine, particularly to the neck area (CERVICAL SPINE), can cause a permanent interruption in the messages from the brain to the body. You may no longer be able to move your arms or legs for instance. This is what is known as being "PARALYZED." For this reason, it is very important to avoid injuring the spine. |
| - Bruises, scrapes or cuts to the head or face.
- Pain or tenderness in the neck or back. - Partial or complete paralysis. - Difficulty breathing. - Weakness in the arms and/or legs. - Numbness and tingling in the arms and/or legs. |
| WHEN SOMEONE SUFFERS A SPINAL
INJURY THEY WILL NEED
IMMEDIATE PROFESSIONAL HELP |
| (DIAL 911)
WHAT CAN YOU DO UNTIL HELP ARRIVES? Advise the injured person to "Hold still! Don't move anything!" Especially their head and neck. If they are standing or sitting, help them try to maintain that position without moving their head or neck until help arrives. If they are in the water, do the best you can with available help to keep the person still while maintaining an open airway. |
| - DON'T dive head first into any unknown water.
- In shallow water, DON'T dive headfirst towards the bottom into oncoming waves. - DON'T stand with your back to the waves. - DON'T jump or dive from a cliff, pier, jetty or bridge. - Avoid bodysurfing, bodyboarding or surfing straight "over the falls." Ride the shoulder. - During a bodyboarding or surfing "wipeout", try to land as flat as possible with your hands out in front of you. Don't dive straight to the bottom. - While bodyboarding, always keep at least one arm out in front of you to protect your head and neck. |
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