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Illness & disability
Spinal cord injury
Read advice from Dr. Jeffrey Rabin, a pediatric rehabilitation specialist at the Children’s National Medical Center.
Check out information on spinal cord injuries just for teens.
Your spinal cord is a big bundle of nerves that runs down the middle of your back. It carries signals from your brain to the rest of your body and from your body to your brain.
The most common cause of a spinal cord injury is a motor vehicle accident. Your spinal cord can also be injured in a bad fall. Did you know that more than half of people who suffer spinal cord injuries are 15 to 29 years old?
If you suffer a spinal cord injury, you lose the ability to move muscles and feel things in the parts of your body below the site of the injury. So, for instance, if your spinal cord is injured just above your hips, you lose movement and feeling in your hips, legs, and feet.
A spinal cord injury also takes a strong emotional toll. People who have new spinal cord injuries often go through a grieving process, almost like when a close friend or loved one has died. Some common feelings that can be a part of grief are:
- Denial or having a hard time accepting that the injury has happened. You may think that the injury will go away, even if you are unable to move.
- Extreme sadness over what has happened. Sadness is different from depression, which is a health condition that you can get help for. Learn more about depression.
- Anger towards the people around you and even feelings of anger toward yourself.
- Hope that if you accept things as they are and work hard in physical therapy, you will recover from your injury someday. It is normal to hope for a cure for paralysis. However, it is important also to put your energy into living life with your injury.
- Acceptance of your injury as the grieving process comes to an end — saying, "Okay, I have this injury," and thinking about new goals for your future.
Adjusting
Adjustment is also a big part of dealing with a spinal cord or other major injuries. Adjustment means getting used to something new and also making changes to better handle something new. People who are injured go through an adjustment period that is unique to each person. Some may not realize how serious their injury is right away. For teens, coping with an injury can be even harder. This is because, as a teen, you also are coping with the change from childhood to adulthood.
Keep in mind that anger and grief are normal. But do not let your feelings keep you from taking care of yourself. Make sure to do what the doctor tells you to do and try to focus on your therapy. Adjusting to your injury will be easier if you set some personal goal, such as working hard in each therapy session to gain strength or getting back into a club at school. Make an effort to stay in touch with your old friends, and don’t be shy about making new friends at your physical therapy sessions. Social support is important during this time! Your relationship with your parents or guardians may change during this time, as well. But try your hardest to talk through any problems that come up.
The future
You will have to adjust to new experiences throughout your life with this injury. As tough as it can be, dealing with the different challenges that come your way will make you strong — and will really make you shine! Had you hoped to be a doctor someday before your injury? Or hoped to have a family? Well, your long-term goals may not have to change at all! Talk to your parents or guardians, health care team, and teachers about what you need to feel more comfortable at school so that you can do well. And, most importantly, follow the advice of your health care team about taking care of your health on a daily basis.
Living with spinal cord injury — your questions answered
Dr. Jeffrey Rabin, a pediatric rehabilitation specialist at the Children’s National Medical Center, offers this advice on living with spinal cord injury:
Q. What can teens do to feel more comfortable in a hospital or rehabilitation center?
A. Teens should know that a hospital is not a pleasant place, and that recovery is going to be hard work. It can help to trust your health care team members — they always have your best interests in mind. And, they will do what they can to make your stay as nice as possible.
What is a pediatric rehabilitation specialist? A doctor who helps young people get better after a serious illness or injury.
Q. How can teens make the recovery process smoother?
A. Healing after a spinal cord injury is hard on your body and mind. There is also a lot to learn about the other health issues that can go along with spinal cord injuries, but it will get easier to manage these in time. Listen to your doctor and other health care team members when they teach you how to care for yourself.
Q. What should patients ask their doctors?
A. Ask your doctor about doing the things you enjoy. He or she wants to hear you ask if you can still go camping and play sports!
Q. What can make it easier for teens with spinal cord injuries to deal with friends and family?
A. Let people know that you are still the same person, only now you are dealing with a medical problem. You can tell them that everyone has a medical problem at some point in their lives and that you are dealing with yours early in life.
Q. What should teens know about spinal cord injury research that is going on?
A. It is important to be aware of how serious your injury is. At the same time, there is a lot of spinal cord injury research taking place and it is okay to hope for a cure for paralysis someday. The best thing you can do is focus on moving ahead and living life with the injury you have, in the healthiest way possible.
Q. Can teen girls with spinal cord injuries have babies?
A. Girls can absolutely become mothers someday! The doors are still wide open for your future goals — whether those goals are to have a family or do anything else that you put your mind to.
Content last updated October 21, 2009
