Treatment & Rehabilitation

As personal injury attorneys practicing throughout California, the lawyers at Bohn & Bohn, LLP provide aggressive representation to ensure victims of spinal cord injuries have access to the care and treatment they need, with financial compensation that enables them to obtain it.

Although nerve damage is basically irreversible and spinal cord injuries are for the most part permanent, with the proper treatment and rehabilitation, an individual can see a one to two level improvement from the initial paralysis.  One or two levels can mean the difference between breathing on your own versus needing a ventilator, or having the ability to feed and dress yourself versus being totally reliant on others for your care.

Emergency Treatment

As with any serious injury, emergency treatment is the first stage of medical care one receives.  Emergency aid may begin at the scene of the accident and continue into the emergency room of a major hospital or trauma center.  The goal of emergency treatment is to keep the patient alive and stabilize the vital signs so that further care can be provided.  With the victim of a back or neck injury, special care must always be taken when moving the patient not to damage the spine any further than it already is.  Treatment at the scene is critical for someone with a C1 or C2 injury (see our page on quadriplegia), because damage at this level will inhibit the person's ability to breathe without outside assistance.

Acute Treatment

The goal at the acute stage is first to prevent further injury, and then to repair as much damage as possible.  For the spinal cord injury victim, preventing further injury means immobilizing the back and neck around the area of the injury.  Braces, casts, and halos are devices used to keep the patient immobile.  Surgery is likely at this stage to remove bone fragments, tissue or fluid which may be pressing on the spine.  This procedure is commonly known as decompression.

Further surgery may be required to realign the spine and hold it in place.  Metal rods, cages, and screws are often employed for this purpose.  Sometimes bone grafts are used to fuse vertebrae together.  The person may be placed in traction or otherwise kept immobile for an extended period to allow these grafts to take hold.

Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation may be conducted in a special wing of the hospital, but often the patient is transferred to a specialty hospital or rehabilitation facility that focuses on recovery from serious injuries.  The period of rehabilitation may last from a few weeks to six months or more.  Although the stay may be considerably longer in some cases, in most instances the vast majority of progress and improvement will be made within the first two months.

The patient's rehabilitation is usually overseen by a physiatrist, a doctor who specializes in physical rehabilitation and the diagnosis and treatment of pain.  Various professionals will also be involved, including physical therapists, occupational therapists, and social workers.  Physical therapists work on improving muscle strength, coordination and motor function, while occupational therapists help the patient learn new skills and adaptive strategies to perform daily living tasks and self-care.  Social workers and psychologists are instrumental in helping patients cope with the emotional stresses of their new challenges, and access a network of resources and support which can help them through difficult periods. 

Drug therapy and assistive technology devices are often integrated into these therapies to achieve maximum rehabilitation and restored function.  Vocational rehabilitation may also be utilized to reintegrate the patient into the workforce, whether it is in the patient's former occupation or a new field which matches the patient's level of function and ability.

Discharge

Eventually the rehabilitation facility will have achieved the maximum level of improvement it can, and the patient will be discharged, either to home or to a residential facility with assisted living or nursing care.  The patient will then likely continue follow-up care and therapy for years, which may be provided by home health care or at an outpatient facility.  Additionally, future medical, social, and psychological complications are not uncommon.

Recent Advances in Treatment

Despite controversy, stem cell research continues to hold promise for nerve cell repair and regeneration.  Stem cells are present in the blood and have the ability to differentiate into many different types of cells, including nerve cells.  However, research in the U.S. is limited, and procedures done in other countries are extremely expensive, and not covered by insurance.  Also, their effects may only be temporary and may in fact hurt one's chances at a later procedure.  Finally, anyone considering going overseas for treatment should be aware of scams and thoroughly investigate before committing any money or false hope.

What it Takes to Recover

While you are fighting to achieve your maximum physical recovery, our lawyers are fighting to achieve a maximum financial recovery that allows you to get the care you need and deserve.  If you were harmed in an accident because of the negligence or wrongful acts of another, contact Bohn & Bohn, LLP today for a free consultation.