Advances in Spinal Cord Rehabilitation
There are nearly 11,000 recorded spinal injuries per year in the United States, with an average of between 250,000 and 400,000 people in the U.S. that are currently living with disabilities spurred by spinal cord injuries of some sort. Any type of spinal cord injury can potentially cause a number of permanent disabilities including:
These injuries are most commonly sustained during falls or car accidents but can be associated with various other accidents due to safety issues or negligence in some form. Any paralysis resulting from a neck injury is referred to commonly as quadriplegia or tetraplegia, while those sustained in the lumbar, sacral, or thoracic regions are typically referred to as paraplegia. Paralysis is most commonly found below the area of injury upon the spinal cord, while there are some injuries that may not cause complete or permanent paralysis.
Spinal Cord Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation for spinal cord injuries can be extremely lengthy and expensive as well. There are enormous costs associated with treatment and rehab, which is advancing each year. As rehabilitation for these types of injuries advances, there are more costs associated with obtaining the treatments, causing great financial strain for most patients. Rehabilitation most typically occurs in one of three locations, or a combination of the three:
The most common rehab time for paraplegia can range up to five months after injury, while quadriplegia/tetraplegia injuries can require anywhere from six to eight months of rehabilitation after the injury is sustained. This is not to mention the many months, as well as years associated with rehab time after the initial release from the hospital. The costs of spinal cord injuries for the first year can usually range from $209,000 to more than $700,000, with the annual costs each year afterward ranging from around $14,000 to about $127,000, with a lifetime cost of as much as 2.8 million for patients 25 years old.
Advances in Rehabilitation Techniques
Although there is currently no cure for paralysis and other spinal cord injuries, there are many advances occurring in the techniques used to rehabilitate patients suffering from the various spinal cord injuries. There is also a great deal of research being made to improve the effects of rehabilitation, as well as to improve the recovery rate, by increasing the ability to compensate for spinal injuries through various treatments. The 2010 Translational Research Partnership Award was granted to Gordon Mitchell and his team from the University of Saskatchewan, Emory School of Medicine, and The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, for breakthrough research on spinal cord rehabilitation. According to the research, short periods of Oxygen deprivations can be effective in increasing the plasticity of the spinal cord, allowing regeneration and compensation for injuries.
There is also a great deal of advancement in the physiotherapy, as well as cell generation used to treat spinal injuries. Pathophysiology is showing break-through success in repairing spinal cord injuries that have caused paralysis of one or more regions. These advancements are progressing the science of spinal cord repair and rehab, yet they can cost a great deal more than the previous techniques utilized to improve and assist with spinal injuries.
Seeking Compensation to Afford Rehabilitation Advancements Hundreds and thousands of people are injured every year due to various accidents including:
Each of these accidents and many others can be caused by someone or something else, with another party completely responsible for the accident. Whether a mechanical defect, equipment malfunction, or any type of safety neglect or abuse, you won’t receive compensation if you don’t go about it the correct way. Many companies or individuals will offer a small settlement, sometimes as much as $500,000, but this is just not going to cover your overall costs endured due to the spinal injury. You may not even receive that much, with many companies seeking the cheapest settlement possible. This may pay for your doctor’s and medical bills, but you will likely be at a loss when it comes to affording the long-term rehabilitation, especially with the many advances that are being made. You may just have to seek out a spinal cord injury lawyer to ensure you are able to receive the compensation necessary to afford the latest advancements in spinal rehabilitation.
Finding the best spinal cord lawyer will ensure you are represented by a law firm with experience and reputation, providing the best outcome possible. Settling for anything less could cause you to have to accept less than your injury deserves, making it extremely difficult to afford rehabilitation as it continues to advance through the years.
For more information on spinal cord injury rehabilitation, download our FREE PDF guide:
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