Think Your Spine Was Hurt? Know the Signs and What to Do Next

You may be asking, how do I know if my spinal cord is injured? Here is the short answer. New numbness, tingling, or weakness in the arms or legs, trouble with balance, or loss of bladder or bowel control are warning signs. Only a medical exam can confirm an injury.

This guide explains those signs, why some injuries are hard to spot at first, and what to do in the first hours. It is general information to help you think through what comes next.

What a Spinal Cord Injury Is, and How It Differs From a Back Injury

A spinal cord injury is damage to the bundle of nerves that carries messages between the brain and the rest of the body. When those messages are disrupted, a person can lose movement, feeling, or control of some bodily functions. MedlinePlus explains that this kind of injury can cause paralysis and sensory or functional loss below the level of the injury (MedlinePlus spinal cord injury overview).

A back injury is different. A sprain or strained muscle affects the muscles and ligaments around the spine. The two can happen together after the same crash, so a sore back does not show whether the cord is hurt.

Doctors also describe injuries as complete or incomplete. A complete injury means no feeling or movement below the injury. An incomplete injury means some feeling or movement remains (MedlinePlus detailed guide).

Where the injury sits matters too. Injuries in the neck, upper back, and lower back cause different symptoms, as the Reeve Foundation spinal cord injury page explains.

Warning Signs That Need Emergency Medical Care Now

New numbness, tingling, or weakness after a crash or fall needs emergency medical care right away. Get help immediately if you notice any of these signs:

• New numbness, tingling, or weakness in the arms or legs
• Trouble with balance or walking
• Loss of bladder or bowel control
• Severe neck or back pain after an impact
• Trouble breathing

Don’t wait to see whether symptoms improve on their own. A sudden change in feeling or strength after a crash is a reason to get checked at once.

Breathing deserves special attention. Spinal cord injuries can affect breathing, and some people need a breathing tube or ventilator support (Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center fact sheet). Call 911 for these signs, or have someone take you straight to an emergency room.

How Do You Know if You Have a Spinal Injury?

You can’t rule out a spinal injury just because you feel fine right after the crash. Some people feel little pain at first. Symptoms can also appear hours or days later, or build slowly. That is why anyone with neck or back trauma should be checked, even without clear symptoms.

A medical team checks strength, reflexes, and feeling in the arms and legs. They may then order imaging, such as X-rays or an MRI. The MedlinePlus detailed guide also covers these diagnostic tests.

Tell the medical team about every symptom, even small ones. Note when each symptom started. A written timeline helps the team understand the injury, and it helps you later when you need to explain what happened.

Symptoms Depend on Where the Injury Sits in the Spine

Symptoms depend mostly on the level of the injury in the spine. The spine has three main sections: the cervical spine (neck), the thoracic spine (upper and middle back), and the lumbar spine (lower back).

A T3 injury sits in the upper back, in the thoracic spine. Higher injuries can affect more of the body below the injury point. This can include the trunk and legs. A person may notice balance problems or changes in feeling below the injury.

Only a medical team can identify the exact level and extent of an injury through testing. Our spinal cord injury overview covers the types of these injuries in more depth.

Can You Walk if You Have a Spinal Cord Injury?

Some people with a spinal cord injury can still walk, and some cannot. Walking depends on which nerves are affected and how much function remains.

In an incomplete injury, some function remains below the injury. That may allow walking, sometimes with difficulty. Being able to walk does not prove the spinal cord is uninjured. Weakness or unsteadiness can appear later, so anyone who walks after a crash still needs an exam.

How this applies to one person depends on the facts of that person’s injury. A medical team that examines the person makes that determination.

What to Do if Someone May Have a Spinal Injury

If someone may have a spinal injury, call 911 and keep their head, neck, and back still. Stay with them until help arrives.

• Don’t move the person unless they are in immediate danger, such as fire or heavy traffic.
• Keep the head, neck, and back in line. Avoid twisting or bending the body.
• Don’t remove a helmet unless emergency responders advise it.
• Keep the person warm and calm, and watch their breathing.

MedlinePlus lists basic emergency precautions for a suspected spinal cord injury (MedlinePlus spinal cord injury overview). Reassure the person and avoid guessing about how serious the injury is.

Why Records and a Clear Timeline Matter After a Crash

Medical records and a written timeline help show how an injury started and how it has changed. They give a clear record of what happened and when.

• Keep discharge papers, imaging results, and appointment notes.
• Write a simple log of symptoms, dates, work limits, and daily activities.
• Save bills and receipts.

New Mexico law looks at what caused an injury. A proximate cause is one that, in a natural and continuous sequence, produces the injury and without which the injury would not have occurred. It need not be the only cause (Herrera v. Quality Pontiac). Careful records help connect the crash to the injury.

Common Questions

Talk With Our Team About Your Situation

You may be sitting at a hospital bedside, or living with pain and uncertainty after an accident you did not choose. Those days are hard, and the questions pile up. Reach out to El Gringo Law through our contact page, by phone, or by chat to talk through what happened.

Our free first consultation is confidential and carries no obligation to continue. Josh Wood is the responsible lawyer for this page. He is licensed in New Mexico and Arizona. You can find the firm’s website address and contact options on the contact page linked above.