Treatment for spinal cord injury is prescribed depending on the diagnosis. Diagnosis is performed using X-ray, CT, and MRI, as the patient’s injury/problem must be identified. These tests can help identify problems the patient is facing and guide treatment accordingly.
A full physical examination will also be performed to determine where any injuries remain. This period allows swelling and inflammation to subside. Our Spine Diagnostic Center in Chennai can help determine any pre-existing injuries. During this time, the depth and severity of damage are also determined. This also allows us to predict recovery times and treatment outcomes.
The two most important factors in the diagnosis of spinal cord injury are timing and medical history. The sooner a problem is diagnosed, the sooner a patient can be treated and the more likely they are to recover. Another important factor is understanding how the injury occurred, as this is a major determinant of how treatment will continue.
A physical exam allows the doctor to test sensory function, muscle movement and strength, and reflexes. Our Spine Diagnostic Center in Chennai will perform a physical exam to determine the severity of the injury.
Sensory messages include sensations of heat, cold, touch, pain, pressure, and body position. Kinetic messages are sent to the muscles in your arms, hands, fingers, legs, toes, chest, and other parts of your body. Muscles receive these messages to tell them when and how to move. Reflex messages are involuntary and help protect the body through instinctive responses. This test helps doctors determine whether there is damage to the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, or sacral spine. Groups of nerves corresponding to specific body parts are protected by these sections of the spine.
Dr. Parthasarathy Srinivasan was one of eight candidates selected from many aspirants from all the member countries of the Asia-Pacific Orthopaedic Association (APOA) for the prestigious APOA Depuy Spine travelling fellowship – Oct 2009.
