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Signs and First Aid for Spinal Injuries

The spinal cord connects the brain to the body and controls movement and sensation. Spinal injuries can cause paralysis and occur when extreme force, twisting, or bending affects the spine. Signs of spinal injury include neck or back pain, deformities of the spine, bruising on the skin over the spine, and loss of sensation, control, or breathing if the spinal cord is damaged. If the injured person is responsive, do not move them and call for help, supporting their head, neck, and back in a straight line. If unresponsive, carefully open the airway and check breathing, calling for assistance and keeping the body straight while waiting for emergency responders.

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Laura Luca
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7 views2 pages

Signs and First Aid for Spinal Injuries

The spinal cord connects the brain to the body and controls movement and sensation. Spinal injuries can cause paralysis and occur when extreme force, twisting, or bending affects the spine. Signs of spinal injury include neck or back pain, deformities of the spine, bruising on the skin over the spine, and loss of sensation, control, or breathing if the spinal cord is damaged. If the injured person is responsive, do not move them and call for help, supporting their head, neck, and back in a straight line. If unresponsive, carefully open the airway and check breathing, calling for assistance and keeping the body straight while waiting for emergency responders.

Uploaded by

Laura Luca
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Spinal Injuries

The spinal cord connects the brain to the rest of the body – it controls movement and our
sensory functions like touch, pain and heat. Because of this, spinal injuries can be very
serious, and in the worst case can cause someone to become paralysed.

Most spinal injuries happen when someone has experienced extreme force, twisting or
bending.

You should look for signs of spinal injury if you’re caring for someone who has:

• Fallen from a height


• Fallen awkwardly
• Dived into a shallow pool and hit the bottom
• Fallen from a moving vehicle (including a bike or horse)
• Been in a vehicle crash
• Been hit by a heavy object across their back
• Had an injury to the head or face

What are the signs?


Signs of spinal injury may be different depending on whether someone has injured the spinal
cord itself, the vertebrae bones which protect it or both.

Here’s what to look for:

If the vertebrae are damaged: If the spinal cord is damaged:

• Neck or back pain • Loss of control over limbs – they may


be unable to move their arms or legs
• Unusual shape or twist in the curve of
the spine • Sensation is lost or abnormal (e.g. skin
may burn or tingle)
• Soreness and/or bruising in the skin
over the spine • Loss of bladder and/or bowel control
• Breathing difficulties

Spinal Injuries Page 1


How to help
It’s possible that someone with a spinal injury may have become unresponsive, so what you
would do to help would be different depending on whether they are responsive or not.

If they’re responsive:

• Reassure them and tell them not to move


• Call emergency services
• Stop their head or neck from moving to prevent further damage:
• Kneel or lie behind their head
• Rest your elbows to keep your arms steady
• Grip the sides of the head, without covering the ears
• Support the head in this position so that head, neck and spine are in a straight line

• Keep supporting their head until emergency services arrive. If someone else can help,
they can put rolled up blankets, clothes etc. either side of the head to support it

If they’re unresponsive:

• Carefully open their airway, by putting your fingertips at the angles of the jaw and gently
lifting. Avoid tilting the neck
• Check if they are breathing
• If they are breathing, support their head as in the steps above
• Call for emergency services to assist
• If you’re unable to keep their airway open, very carefully move them into the recovery
position. Use the normal technique, but get helpers (ideally two on each side) to help you
keep their whole body in a straight line at all times as you roll them over
• If they aren’t breathing, begin CPR

While you’re waiting for emergency services to arrive, remember to keep checking how
responsive the casualty is, and monitoring their breathing and response

Spinal Injuries Page 2

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